Shocked by the brutal killing of her father, seven-year old schoolgirl Nisha Sunwar can barely sleep or eat. “What had my father done? Why did they kill him?” asked the young girl.
Her 40-year-old father Subaram was killed by a group of Madhesi people in Devipur village, Kapilvastu District, southeastern Nepal, after their local leader Mohit Khan was assassinated by unknown persons recently, said local villagers.
Since 16 September violence between the Pahade and Madhesi ethnic communities has led to at least 18 deaths, and over 5,000 displaced people requiring humanitarian assistance, according to local human rights activists.
Child rights workers are concerned about the impact of the violence on children - some of whom witnessed their parents being killed, have been displaced, and are now traumatised, according to Child Workers in Nepal (CWIN), a local non-governmental organisation (NGO).
Nearly 6,000 people have been displaced from both Pahade and Madhesi villages, said the Human Rights Treaty Coordination Committee (HRTCC), a joint forum of Nepalese human rights NGOs. Around 4,000 are Pahades and 2,000 Madhesis, according to HRTCC.
Local child rights activists say that most are children and need urgent support. “So many children have been suffering. They need a special humanitarian package immediately,” said activist Tarak Dhital.
Child rights activists are also worried about the disappearance of some children - Pahade and Madhesi - and fear they might have been killed in the clashes.
“The local police and government authorities lack records of how many children have been killed and injured and this is a matter of serious concern,” said Dhital. According to Kapilvastu’s Lumbini hospital, over 40 children have received treatment for injuries. Senior police and government officials said they have instructed their colleagues at the local level to investigate.
 Photo: Naresh Newar/IRIN  |
| Many displaced children are traumatised |
 Background of the Terai's Madhesi people |
“I’m very scared to go back home. Who will help us?” asked 14-year-old Rita Pande. She lay on her bed, hungry, one of hundreds of displaced people living in tents at Chandrauta village.
“My children need help. They need a proper place to stay and proper food. Please help us,” said Rahimu Nisha, who has been displaced, like thousands of Madhesi civilians, in Bairani village, near the Indian border.
A group of local child rights workers visited over 10 villages in Kapilvastu District and found the plight of children was very serious, and worse than that of the displaced adults.
“The displaced children have been constantly on the move, with their parents clueless about where to go next. Many will not be able to return,” said Dhital.
All schools in Kapilvastu remain closed. Some have been burnt down and completely destroyed, according to child rights workers.
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This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
