With winter closing in, UN relief wing races against time to reach isolated areas of Nepal

As the approaching winter has left a small time window for aid workers to reach earthquake-hit, high-altitude areas in Nepal, the United Nations humanitarian wing and its partners are racing against the clock to ensure timely delivery of food and shelter supplies to the isolated communities.

“It is of critical importance to deliver supplies to the trailheads by end of October as the passes in the Himalayas will be at increased risk of being blocked by snowfall,” said a statement issued late last week by the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nepal.

Available land access trails, especially to high altitude regions, will be cut off soon with the onset of winter, thus making the humanitarian agencies rush to safeguard distribution of urgent relief of food and shelter items, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

However, the recent monsoon has limited road and air delivery, leaving a backlog of 1,200 metric tonnes of shelter and non-food items pending delivery to the earthquake-struck communities.

While most supplies are in local storage, the serious fuel shortage delays scheduled deliveries to affected villages with mules and porters as further transportation through trailhead.

“The humanitarian community is implementing contingencies to address the fuel shortages and to increase its capacity to deliver the supplies within an ever decreasing window of opportunity,” said the statement.