Two elderly men succumb to cold in makeshift shelters in Jajarkot

As the government's negligence reached the pick, additional two quake-hit elderly men died of cold today.

"Two elderly people living in makeshift tarpaulin shelters in Jajarkot passed away due to cold weather today," confirmed Barekot Rural Municipality chairperson Bir Bahadur Gurung. 

The deceased have been identified as Dhuleshwar Karki of Bheri Municipality-2 and Narendra Bahadur Singh of Jiri in Barekot Rural Municipality-4. Both were living in makeshift shelters after their homes were damaged by the earthquake.

According to Gurung, both Karki and Singh were asthma patients, and the cold weather aggravated their health.

More than 34,000 people in Jajarkot are living in makeshift tarpaulin shelters as the earthquake has rendered their houses inhabitable, with the elderly, children, and new mothers being the most affected.

Despite huge relief materials and hefty cash assistance from inside and out of the country, the governments failed to manage the distribution of relief materials, especially in the cold season.

According to the chief district officer (CDO) of Jajarkot Suresh Sunar, children, new mothers, chronically ill, and the elderly living in makeshift shelters are more affected. "Two chronic patients living in makeshift shelters died due to cold in Nalgad-4 last week," he said, claiming that they are taking needful initiatives to manage the situation. But the death of citizens exposed their inefficiency and negligence towards the people. 

The government has already collected a fund of Rs 152.80 million for helping the victims of the Jajarkot earthquake.

According to spokesperson at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministries (OPMCM) Narayan Prasad Bhatta, the amount has been collected in the Prime Minister Natural Disaster Relief Fund. Though, the government claimed to utilise the amount for supporting the victims of the Jajarkot earthquake that hit the area two weeks ago, people are suffering, especially due to cold weather, and failed to provide respite to the quake-affected.

The tremor had claimed 153 lives and left hundreds of others injured and homeless.