Child Trafficking in Nepal

"This is a bad time during the emergency; trafficking is a problem. Watch out for unaccompanied kids."
"If you're suspicious call this number."
Child trafficking alert, Siundhupalchok, Nepal

"Watch out for people who give you false dreams of education, food, jobs. Don't believe it. They're taking advantage of our honesty."
"Are you alone? Who is with you?"
Sangeet Girio, handling out pamphlets, Shakti Samua group

"These kids were told they were going to school in India. They were genuinely excited about leaving home and getting an education and a chance for a better life."
"But when asked where they wrote the entrance exam, they didn't know anything about it."
"We have 600 registered care homes (orphanages) in Nepal. The requests to open more after the earthquake have tripled. Some of them are in fact scams for religions that are using the kids to raise money."
"In the name of children, these people are stealing money."
Tarak Dhital, executive director, Central Child Welfare Board, Kathmandu

A child lines up with her mother in a temporary shelter during food distribution at Tundikhel in Kathmandu, Nepal. After the earthquake campaigners warned that girls and young women were vulnerable to human traffickers. Photograph: Hemanta Shrestha/EPA

Nepalese find themselves in a parlous state of governmental inability to cope with the after-effects of the seismic shocks that killed thousands and left a million people without shelter. Schools were destroyed and children were shut out of classrooms until such time as new, temporary replacements could be opened. A country always on the brink of economic failure and governmental dysfunction finds itself in a desperate situation, despite the response of international aid organizations.

Where some NGOs rush in to aid at times of national catastrophes to help bring a country back to a state of normalcy, other groups also rush in, to take advantage of the havoc and the desperate plight of people in shock. In Nepal, destroyed homes, collapsed schools and dead parents leaving behind orphans create the perfect junction for human traffickers to move in and ply their odious trade; this time in corralling for their nefarious purposes children left in desperate straits.

The United Nations has estimated that twelve to fifteen thousand girls are victimized by human traffickers in Nepal every year. The pace has accelerated with the advent of this new tragedy in an already beleaguered country and society. The trafficked girls end up in India, in South Korea and South Africa. Humanitarian agencies, recognizing the plight of these children, joined forces in a scheme meant to rescue children before they are taken out of the country.

A local child rescue group, Shakti Samua, has volunteers waiting at bus stops in Sindhupalchok, the district known for representing the highest rate of trafficking of children. An intersection of switchback roads in Bandeu is the venue where buses and trucks drive out of the mountains on their way to Kathmandu. The bus stop is monitored by local police. The volunteers with the charity await their opportunity to board the buses as they stop to let off passengers or take them on, pamphlets at the ready for hand-outs.

Travellers sit three to a seat on the buses, the aisles are packed. The volunteer boarding swiftly with the handout pamphlets explaining the crisis in human trafficking of vulnerable Nepalese children knows there is a mere pause available before the bus resumes its journey; they must speak quickly, delivering the essence of the message, and scattering the pamphlets among the passengers to alert them to the situation, then disembark and wait for the next buses to arrive.

At one stop in the Kathmandu Valley, 19 children; eleven boys and eight girls between the ages of ten and thirteen from Dolakha, were rescued from three men from India. The parents of the children were called and informed that their children were meant to be sold by the traffickers, and not, as the parents and the children believed, taken to safe houses where access to good schools would be made available to them. They are sometimes sold as slave labourers. The children were returned to their parents.

Another 45 children placed in a similar plight were rescued as well. The Nepalese government on May 26 brought forward a new law, that children under 16 are not permitted to travel without a parent or another adult approved by the district's child welfare board, outside their home district. International adoptions have been halted until September. Radio advertisements warn the public: "Trafficking is a problem. Keep your kids close."

Poor families in the mountains had been convinced by unscrupulously smooth talkers that their children would be exposed to a good education and better food than they could give them if they were placed in a care home in Kathmandu. The children ended up stuffed ten to a room, fed paltry quantities that led them to scavenge for food on the streets. But they were used in a campaign asking for charity to give them a better life.

"We have rescued 26 children from the clutches of human traffickers in the past 20 days and sent them to rehabilitation centres."
"Following the Nepal disaster, the fear of children and women falling prey to the human trafficker gangs has increased manifold and so we are keeping a strict vigil along the Indo-Nepal border to prevent such happenings."
Sanjeev Kumar,  senior labour official, Bihar’s East Champaran district, India.

Anything You Can Do . . .

Nuns practising kung fu at the Druk Gawa Khilwa Buddhist nunnery in Ramkot, Nepal. Photograph: Simon De Trey-White/Eyevine

"None of us shrieked in fear or crouched on the floor crying. We moved quickly, dodged falling pieces of the wall and escaped."
"Community duty is also a form of spiritual exercise, and our strong limbs are now trained to work hard and for long hours."
"Kung fu is not meant to attack people or fight with them. It prepares you for enduring difficult situations, like this earthquake. It is also a form of meditation because it helps us concentrate, keep our minds still and body nimble and light."
Jigme Konchok, 21, Buddhist 'kung fu' nun, Kathmandu

Buddhist nuns practise kung fu at Druk Amitabha nunnery in Kathmandu.  File Photo: AFP

But the women at this 26-year-old nunnery excel at other occupations viewed as the gender-specific monopoly of masculine skills, particularly in the monastic order. They have learned to do plumbing, electrical fitting, computers, bicycle riding, speak English, and pray just as well as any monk who prides himself on practical and spiritual skills such as these. And with those skills they exit their Druk Amitabha Mountain nunnery to offer their services to the villagers living below.

All the more so since the devastating earthquake that shook the western valley of Kathmandu, inflicting violence on the nunnery just as it did other buildings throughout the area in the Earth's cataclysmic upheaval in Nepal. None of the nuns was crushed, became injured, died as a result of the building's response to the tremblor. Though the windows shattered, staircases collapsed, and doors rattled as walls buckled, the nuns leaped to their own salvation.

And they were inspired by their order and their considerable acquired skills to help in providing aid to victims of the deadly earthquake. Structural damage to their sanctuary was assessed and the nuns determined that their duty lay in looking beyond the nunnery for the moment, to offer assistance to those whom they felt required it far more than they did. And so, every day, wearing their distinctive maroon robes nuns travel to nearby villages to give aid.

They help to remove the rubble from people's shattered homes, to dig up, salvage and return objects to their owners, and to clear trails and pathways. These nuns are living examples that traditional gender roles need not necessarily spell out the manner in which women should tend to womanly chores of a menial nature, leaving to men more overtly masculine tasks, including occupying positions of influence and power.

Before the quake: The Druk Gawa Khilwa nunnery in Kathmandu teaches martial arts and meditation to empower young women -- Photo, Mail on Line, India

The 300 nuns have refused invitations for evacuation assistance, to ensure their safety. Their self-confidence and self-reliance leads them to use their energy and their skills to help others. The leader of the Ladakh-Based Drupka order, the 12th Gyalwang Drukpa, stated: "I was expecting the nuns over there to be under trauma. Many people were saying that they should be evacuated but they decided to stay back and help others.

 

"It's raining continuously, earthquakes are repeatedly happening, the walls are falling and none of them can go back to their rooms so they have had to camp in the garden. Despite all these problems, they are willing to help." They are not called the "Kung fu nuns of Kathmandu", after all, for no reason. They began their training years ago, in anticipation of responding as they have, to situations such as this.

They use the ancient Chinese martial art for many reasons, not the least of which is meditation. But they also engage themselves deeply with a sense of obligation, in community work, campaigning as well against toxic waste, and are exponents both in voice and in deed for women's empowerment. They have engaged in walkathons to protest the prevalence of plastic products and the wastefulness of thoughtless everyday life.

They are the "kung fu nuns of Kathmandu".

Mount Everest avalanche: 'We saw bodies brought down'

BBC News online -- 28 April 2014

Climbers at base camp at Mount Everest hoped to press on but they eventually had to leave

Many foreign climbers have left Everest base camp after sherpa guides cancelled ascents following an avalanche that killed 16 colleagues. Paul Valin was getting ready to climb the world's highest mountain when the avalanche struck on 18 April. The 32-year-old Frenchman, who has since descended, describes what happened.

I was preparing for many months to climb Mount Everest, and that dream was coming true for me when I reached the base camp on 17 April. I met with my team mates on the expedition. There were 12 of us in total.

The avalanche happened the very next day. It happened very early in the morning and as soon as we woke up around 7am, base camp was buzzing with news of the accident.

Paul Valin is determined to climb Everest one day
 

We finally understood how big it was when we heard at least 20 people were caught up in it.
We heard that sherpas were going up the Khumbu Icefall and a ladder that was bridging a crevasse fell, so the way forward was blocked and they couldn't go further.

They ended up staying at a place that is considered quite dangerous, which you would never camp at normally.
It was horrible. We saw the bodies being brought down.

There was a mourning period for about four days, agreed between the Western expeditions and the sherpas, for about four days.

We were terribly sad, especially for our sherpas. Some of them had lost brothers in the avalanche.
They went back to their villages to be with their families while we stayed at base camp.

During that period we rested so that our bodies would get acclimatised. We also checked our equipment, made preparations for the summit, and did some short treks on the other side of the base camp.

About three to four expeditions gave up as they had lost sherpas or had sherpas who were injured. But there were still lots of other expeditions waiting to continue.

Avalanche survivor Kaji Sherpa is recovering after being buried for three hours under snow

Relatives of sherpas killed in the Mount Everest avalanche wait for a funeral procession to begin in Kathmandu, Nepal on April 21

A Buddhist monk lights the funeral pyre of a Nepalese sherpa killed in the avalanche

Relatives of sherpas killed in the avalanche weep at a funeral ceremony in Kathmandu, Nepal

Our sherpas who had left came back on the 22nd.
Most of the other expeditions' sherpas also came back because they need to make money during the climbing season, which can last two to three months, to pay for their children's school fees and other necessities.

The next day, there was a religious ceremony called a 'puja' to bless the expeditions.
Around the time of the ceremony, some of our sherpas as well as the sherpas of another bigger expedition received threats of physical harm and harm to their families.

These people making the threats wanted to shut down the mountain. They were a small group of individuals who we heard were linked to political actors.

The day after, it was confirmed our expedition would not continue. Our sherpas didn't want to go on and we respected that.

Climbers at base camp hoped to press on
Expeditions' tents pitched at base camp. Climbers at base camp hoped that despite the avalanche, they could continue with the summit, but they eventually had to leave

As of Friday, we understood that all the expeditions are shut down. Most of the climbers have left. This was despite the government saying that the mountain is open for business.

There are media reports saying expeditions are leaving because it's not safe, but that's not true. Overall, the ice is not worse than the year before.

There are icefall 'doctors' as well who are people who make sure the roads are taken care of and safe to travel. But we heard they could not do their job because of pressure and threats.

The expedition team made a lot of effort to prepare and now we are not summiting. We are really quite sorry this has happened.

It's like getting into a boxing ring, ready for the match after a year of preparation, and the match is suddenly cancelled.

I don't plan on trying to get a refund on the money I've spent so far, as most of the costs have already been incurred. But I hope to come back next year.

I still love adventuring and the mountains, and I still want to achieve this dream.
I will climb Mount Everest one day.

Paul Valin was speaking to the BBC's Tessa Wong.

Deadly tornadoes devastate US states

BBC News online -- 28 April 2014

Building were destroyed while vehicles and caravans were thrown into the air

At least 17 people have been killed by tornadoes as a huge storm system swept across the central and southern United States.

Sixteen of the victims were in several suburbs of Little Rock in Arkansas, officials said.

One other person was killed in the town of Quapaw in the north-east of Oklahoma where officials said many buildings were badly damaged.

Tornadoes also struck in Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri.

President Barack Obama, on a trip to the Philippines, offered his deepest condolences to those affected and said federal emergency officials would be on the ground to help: "Your country will be there to help you recover and rebuild, as long as it takes."

'Mass casualty situation' Most of the casualties were in suburbs west and north of Little Rock. The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management said 10 people died in Faulkner County, five in Pulaski County and one in White County.

Mayflower and Vilonia, two small towns in Faulkner County, appear to have borne the brunt of the damage. In Vilonia, the County Sheriff's office spoke of a "mass casualty situation".

The Arkansas tornado touched down about 10 miles (16km) west of the city of Little Rock and left a 40 mile (65km) path of destruction.

It is said to have passed through several northern suburbs - including Mayflower where a witness described a twister half a mile wide crossing Interstate 40 on Sunday evening, the National Weather Service said.

One tornado left a 40 mile (65km) trail of destruction

Many vehicles and buildings were wrecked in the town of Mayflower

Winds ripped through foundations blowing entire homes away
 

Congressman Tim Griffin told Reuters news agency an "entire neighbourhood of 50 homes or so" in Faulkner County had been destroyed, with many "completely gone except the foundation".

Many homes and businesses, including a new secondary school worth $14m (£8.3m), were left in ruins in Vilonia after the storm.

"There's just really nothing there anymore. We're probably going to have to start all over again," said Vilonia schools chief Frank Mitchell after inspecting the wreckage of the school.

First reports from Oklahoma said two people had died in Quapaw but officials later revised the figure down to one. Another six people were injured.

Quapaw, which has a population of about 900, was badly hit by the tornado, Ottawa County Emergency Management director Joe Dan Morgan said.

"Looks like about half of town got extensive damage as well as the fire department," he said.
The tornado then headed northwards into the state of Kansas where it struck Baxter Springs, injuring several people and causing further damage.

Over the weekend, storms struck the eastern part of the US, killing a child in North Carolina.

Buildings on Main Street in Quapaw were damaged

Baxter Springs, Kansas, was hit by the same tornado that struck Quapaw

Trees were ripped apart by the storm in Baxter Springs

Everest avalanche kills at least 12 Sherpa guides

BBC News online -- 18 April 2014

Surendra Phuyal in Kathmandu says climbers gathered ahead of May's peak climbing season

At least 12 local guides have been killed after an avalanche on the slopes of Mount Everest, Nepali officials say. 

The avalanche struck around 06:45 local time (01:00 GMT) in an area known as the "popcorn field", just above Everest base camp at 5,800m (19,000ft).

A spokesman for Nepal's tourism ministry told the BBC some missing climbers had been rescued, but more are still missing.
It is thought to be the deadliest climbing tragedy on the mountain.

The Sherpa guides had climbed up the slope early in the morning to fix ropes for climbers and prepare the route for mountaineers when the avalanche hit, officials are quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.

Sherpas often prepare the route for the mountaineers to follow

 

The identities of the dead and missing have not been officially disclosed, tourism ministry spokesman, Mohan Krishna Sapkota, told the BBC.

He said a search and rescue operation was now under way and that three helicopters have been sent to the area.
Several injured climbers have been brought to the base camp.

Correspondents say the accident is a reminder of the risks Sherpa guides undertake in preparing the mountain for climbers. An equal number of guides ascend the slope to help foreign mountaineers, often preparing the way by fixing ropes and setting up camp.

This accident comes during the peak climbing months of April and May as hundreds of climbers converged at base camp in the hope of scaling the summit.

In 1996 eight climbers died during a storm and the disaster eventually formed the basis of the best-selling book Into Thin Air.

More than 3,000 people have scaled Mount Everest since it was first conquered by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953, but many have died in the attempt too.

Straddling Nepal and China, the world's highest mountain has an altitude of 8,848m (29,029ft).

Tsunami alert after 8.2 quake strikes off Chile

BBC News online -- 2 April 2014

Geologist Patrick Moore in the Atacama Desert: "I was lying on my bed and the room was shaking"

An earthquake of 8.2 magnitude has struck off northern Chile, triggering a tsunami alert and sparking the evacuation of tens of thousands.

The US Geological Survey said the quake was very shallow, striking 86km north-west of the mining area of Iquique.

Waves of up to 2.1m (6ft) have hit some areas in Chile, and there have been power cuts, fires and landslides.

Two people are reported to have died, possibly from heart attacks, and a number of people have been injured.
The quake struck at 20:46 local time (23:46 GMT).

Chilean TV broadcast pictures of traffic jams as people tried to evacuate.
Iquique Governor Gonzalo Prieto told local media that in addition to the two deaths, several people had been seriously injured.

A number of adobe homes were reported destroyed in Arica.

    A fire broke out at a restaurant on the shore at Iquique

 

The quake shook modern buildings in Peru and in Bolivia's high altitude capital of La Paz - more than 470km (290 miles) from Iquique.

At least eight strong aftershocks followed in the few hours after the quake, including a 6.2 tremor.
The tsunami warning in Chile will last at least until 08:00 GMT.

The Chilean interior ministry told the BBC that one of the main roads outside Iquique was cut off because of hillside debris.

The ministry says that partial landslides have also taken place between the towns of Putre and General Lagos.

 

The interior minister also told Chilean TV that some 300 women inmates had escaped from a prison in Iquique. The authorities are reported to have deployed a planeload of special forces to guard against looting.

Chilean Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo said President Michelle Bachelet was being kept informed.

"We have taken action to ensure public order in the case of Iquique, where we've had a massive escape of more than 300 female prisoners, so that the armed forces and police can coordinate and provide security to the residents," he said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (TWC) issued an initial warning for Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Panama.
However, all warnings, watches and alerts were later lifted except for Chile and Peru.

Tsunami watches - in which the danger of tidal waves is deemed to be less serious - had been in place for Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico and Honduras.

"Everyone along our coast should be alert and ready," Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa said on Twitter.

Ecuador later reduced its alert but maintained a high level of vigilance for the Galapagos Islands.
High waves hit parts of the Chilean coast within 45 minutes of the quake. Pisagua, Patache and Iquique all saw big waves.

"We have asked citizens to evacuate the entire coast," Chilean home office minister Mahmud Aleuy said.

Evacuations were also ordered in Peru, where waves 2m (6.5ft) above normal forced about 200 people to leave the seaside town of Boca del Rio near the Chilean border, police said.

People take refuge in the Chilean coastal city of Antofagasta

 

A British expatriate near the northern Chilean city of Antofagasta told the BBC that there had been several tremors since the last quarter of last year.

"But this earthquake, even with the increased distance, seemed to last a lot longer," Patrick Moore said.

"I was just sitting on my bed and normally these tremors usually last at the very longest about 40 seconds - this one felt like it lasted about two minutes.

"I knew it was bad so I immediately went online to see what had happened and saw a tsunami warning that's been put in place which confirmed my fears that it was a big one."

Kurt Hertrampf, a hostel owner in Arica, told the BBC there was a big blackout in the town after the quake and he was surprised the telephone line was still working. He added: "Downtown looks like a ghost town."

The area close to the epicentre is mineral rich, but none of the major copper companies reported any break in production.
Chile is one of the most seismically active countries in the world.

Central and southern areas of the country were hit by a powerful earthquake of 8.8 magnitude quake followed by a tsunami that devastated scores of towns in February 2010.

In 1960 an area of Chile south of Concepcion was hit by a 9.5 magnitude which caused about 1,655 deaths and a tsunami in Hawaii and Japan.

The 9.0 magnitude quake that struck Japan on 11 March 2011 caused a devastating tsunami and left more than 15,000 people dead, with more than 3,200 missing.