Humla, October 9
The closure of Nepal’s Hilsa border point with China has caused severe hardship for residents in the border area. Locals and security personnel have been struggling to access food, drinking water and healthcare after heavy snowfall blocked the cross-border route on September 25.
The border point was closed due to a heavy accumulation of snow, while the access road was also badly affected by a blizzard. With the Dashain festival approaching, people stranded in Hilsa because of the blocked road and border crossing have grown increasingly concerned.
The shortage of daily essentials has hit residents hard, as cross-border movement and transportation remain disrupted. Green vegetables are unavailable in local markets, let alone fish and meat.
Kedar Sapkota, an inspector of police at the Hilsa border security post, said personnel had been forced to make do with lentil soup. Access to medical treatment has also become a major concern.
An Armed Police Force (APF) personnel trained as a community medical assistant has been helping sick people by providing medicines, including paracetamol.
Although the border crossing into China reopened on Thursday, 144 Nepali citizens entered Nepal despite the difficult conditions.
Snow clearance began on Wednesday, with a mini excavator being used to remove the blockage. However, the machine is too small to clear the access road in a timely manner. Concerned about the slow progress, more than 100 people have left Hilsa for other parts of the district and beyond.
Hilsa has 63 government employees, including 35 APF personnel and 20 Nepal Police personnel, along with some residents.
