<figure><img width="2002" height="1452" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410114/637205409c7e80680e0b28a7jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photo: UNICEF NEPAL</figcaption></figure>While ‘long-Covid’ has come to mean lingering symptoms among survivors of Covid-19 infections, in Nepal it connotes the long-term socio-economic impact of the pandemic on children.Even as the Omicron third wave spreads across Nepal, the government is struggling to vaccinate children down to age 12 and protect this vulnerable and unvaccinated age group from the virus. No vaccination has been announced yet for those below 12.Side by side with that threat, more than one in five Nepali households continue to struggle for food due to lack of money and disruptions in supply caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the latest findings of a nationwide survey.The survey showed that in November, 21% of households struggled to obtain enough food, and nearly 10% of them had to reduce the dietary intake of children. However, while 60% of households surveyed in July 2020 said <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/half-of-nepalis-lost-jobs-in-past-month/">they had lost jobs</a>, this number had declined substantially to 33% by November last year. Still, this means one-third of Nepali families are <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/pandemic-of-poverty/">at risk of poverty</a>, and this undermines Nepal’s steady success in reducing the rate of absolute poverty over the past two decades.The tracking survey has been conducted periodically by <a href="https://www.sharecast.org.np/">Sharecast Initiative Nepal</a> with support from <a href="https://www.unicef.org/nepal/media/15281/file/Assessing_Secondary_Effects_of_COVID_on_Families_and_Children_In_Nepal_-_CFT_Endline_Report.pdf">UNICEF Nepal</a> since May 2020 to monitor household income, health and education during the pandemic. The <a href="https://www.unicef.org/nepal/media/15281/file/Assessing_Secondary_Effects_of_COVID_on_Families_and_Children_In_Nepal_-_CFT_Endline_Report.pdf">Child and Family Tracker</a> has so far conducted 8 nationwide surveys to monitor and gauge changes in the livelihoods of more than 7,000 households. It tracks their access to jobs, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and children’s access to education, including food intake and health, breastfeeding and pregnant mothers. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/new-nepal-lockdown-may-cancel-gains/">Nepali Times</a> has partnered with Sharecast Initiative in analysing some of this data over the past two years. The latest survey shows that nearly one in three families are in need of financial assistance, and many families continue to be indebted. Disaggregated data shows that Dalit families are still more likely to incur debt, require food and financial support as an immediate need.The number of families reporting loss of jobs worsened in surveys conducted between <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/covid-19-impact-on-food-and-school-in-nepali-children/">May and July 2020</a> (climbing to as much as 60%) but has now come down to 19% in the latest survey conducted in November last year.A similar situation is seen for other parameters like <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/covid-19-impact-on-food-and-school-in-nepali-children/">food shortage</a> and children out of school, with the impact of the lockdowns extending till late 2020, before improving in the past year. The most dramatic impact is seen in the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/learning-during-the-pandemic-in-nepal/">proportion of children who were not studying at all</a>, which came down from a high of 41% in May 2020 to only 3% in November 2021. (See graph below). <figure><img width="2318" height="618" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410114/637205449c7e80680e0b28a8jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Overview of Child Tracker Survey data for various parameters between May 2020 - November 2021.</figcaption></figure>Similarly, families which have members with disabilities, as well as female-headed households have said they have been reaching out for financial support, food, and money. Children of such families predominate in most deprivation indicators. The results in education are a bit more uneven. While 60% of parents polled were confident about sending their children back to school, 80% felt that their children are falling behind in their studies. Only six in every ten households said their schools had handwashing facilities, and only a quarter confirmed their children's classrooms practiced physical distancing.  As expected, the survey showed that children with disabilities were far more likely to face challenges with virtual learning, which has again returned to being the norm as schools stay closed after winter vacations due to the ongoing Omicron surge. Reports of domestic violence have gone up with 15% of households interviewed witnessing violence against women and children, including intimations, threats, insults and yelling. Girls are facing increasing pressure to marry early, and face discrimination in school enrolment.  One positive trend seems to be in the number of households that said they witnessed children working. Before the pandemic, a full 30% of families said child labour was present, this had gone down to 8% during the first lockdown in April 2020 and decreased further to 2% in the latest survey conducted in November 2021. Another positive trend was a higher level of awareness about Covid-19 transmission and precautions. Most families appeared to be taking the necessary precautions with 84% reporting that they wore masks during the holiday season, and 71% of those surveyed had already been vaccinated as of November 2021.  The rate of hand-washing and use of sanitisers also remain high. Together masking, distancing and hygiene could also have an impact on reducing other common water- and air-borne infectious diseases in Nepal like diarrhoea, typhoid, tuberculosis, measles, etc. <figure><img width="1190" height="1200" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410114/637205479c7e80680e0b28a9jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Awareness about Covid precautions May 2020 and November 2021.</figcaption></figure>Unrelated to Covid, the survey also showed that among more than 7,000 households approached there appeared to be a high percentage of them with disabled members, with the highest proportion (21%) being in Karnali Province with Madhes Province and Bagmati at 16% each. (See graph below). <figure><img width="1604" height="1242" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410114/6372054a9c7e80680e0b28aajpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Households with disabilities. </figcaption></figure>Similarly, the survey also gives a glimpse of male out-migration with data showing one third of households in Gandaki Province being female-headed families. Madhes Province had the lowest proportion of women-led households (12%), with all other provinces showing about a quarter of families being female-headed. (See graph below) <figure><img width="1810" height="1092" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410114/6372054d9c7e80680e0b28abjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Female headed households by Province.</figcaption></figure>Interestingly, the survey also showed that female-headed households had a disproportionately higher number of children living with them. Children made up 38% of the total members in households led by males, while in female-headed households children made up 43% of the members.  <img width="936" height="1324" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410114/637205509c7e80680e0b28acjpeg.jpg" alt="">Full report: <a href="https://www.unicef.org/nepal/media/15281/file/Assessing_Secondary_Effects_of_COVID_on_Families_and_Children_In_Nepal_-_CFT_Endline_Report.pdf">‘Equity Focused Assessment of Secondary Effects of COVID-19 on Families and Children in Nepal’ by Unicef and Sharecast Initiative’.</a>

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Nepal’s ‘long-Covid’ impact on children

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161152/636d1e8b9c7e80680e0af416jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640"/><figcaption>Photo: SAGLO SAMAJ/HIMALMEDIA</figcaption></figure>The Covid-19 worsened the disparities in young children’s development and learning in Nepal. One out of five Nepali children between the ages of 2-4 years are not developing on track amidst the pandemic with noted impact on their health, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/covid-19-cancels-regions-gains-in-education/">learning</a> and psychological well-being, a new UNICEF study has revealed.The Early Childhood Development Index (ECDI) survey conducted in August among 2,853 households via phone conversation showed that children from lower income families, living in rural areas, with caregivers with no or low levels of education, and not attending early childhood education (ECE) programs were at higher risk.Even among children who attended ECE, those who attended government ECE were at higher risk of being developmentally off track compared to those who attended private programs.Early stimulation activities like <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-power-of-reading-aloud/">reading books</a>, telling stories, singing songs, going outside, naming objects, counting, or drawing things were found instrumental for young children’s development and learning. However, the data revealed an alarming plunge in parental engagement compared to pre-pandemic conditions.As the country opened up with the decline in Covid cases in August 2021 and parents pursued livelihood options, only 31% of children received early stimulation at home by family members compared to 73% in 2019.A follow up survey in October found that mothers’ engagement improved over the time after she got over the initial hectic schedule right of the pandemic. The same can’t be said for the fathers, whose parental engagement remained low at 6%, maintaining a social norm of men’s reduced role in raising children.This is just the latest in the series of impacts that young children have been subjected to following the pandemic. Early in the coronavirus crisis, repeated lockdowns and travel restrictions meant that parents were unable to take their children for routine immunisation, also resulting in an outbreak of measles in the Dhading district. Similarly, the dramatic <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/children-are-collateral-damage-in-nepal-lockdown/">decline in institutional delivery</a> led to increased infant mortality.Reduced family income due to job losses during the pandemic also added to the problem of childhood malnutrition in Nepal. School closures also deprived many children of getting <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepals-out-of-school-children-get-food-at-home/">one decent meal a day</a> while they also missed their lessons with over 80% of government school children not having attended classes – online or otherwise in the past two years.Among children in the age group 2-4 years, half of those surveyed were found to have been enrolled in <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Prepping-for-preschool,253">pre-primary level</a> but 34% of them didn’t participate in learning through alternative learning modalities at all, most of the children only accessed home tuition. While low-tech solutions like educational radio and TV and tele-teaching were almost unused, high-tech solutions like online classes were used almost exclusively among children who attended private ECE.Underused low-tech solutions and unequal access to high-tech solutions might have further contributed to the developmental gap observed between children who attended private ECE and other children and is the proof of the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/digital-divide-exposes-class-divide-in-nepal-schools/">growing digital divide</a> between private and public institutions.Following the survey results, UNICEF has recommended remedial learning to target children at a higher risk. The government and aid agencies should also develop a system to support teachers and parents to understand their children and figure out their learning levels through user-friendly assessments.In many ways, Covid-19 was a learning lesson for future disasters and being forced to adapt to online educational tools has helped teachers, students and parents prepare for school closures. But the alternative methods of learning remain largely underused, mostly in lack of infrastructure. School across Nepal <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/lessons-not-learned-from-the-pandemic/">has to be trained and well-equipped</a> with Internet facilities and electronic devices.Having said that, parenting education, in particular, involvement of fathers and learning at home is of utmost importance and should be communicated as much in the communities.

Covid derails child development in Nepal

<figure><img width="1080" height="1080" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161128/636d196c9c7e80680e0ac81bjpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption></figcaption></figure>The Nepali film <a href="https://www.mymovies.it/ondemand/uiff/movie/9726-a-scarecrow/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.mymovies.it/ondemand/uiff/movie/9726-a-scarecrow/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1635219475912000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGMn92yR9U9Eix-Lao3LSUPAhw5fw">A Scarecrow</a> has won the UNICEF Iris 75 award at the <a href="https://www.unicef-irc.org/uiff" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.unicef-irc.org/uiff&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1635219475912000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHX4PmiajpN2OkgPa-twxTYInDMGg">UNICEF Innocenti Film Festival 2021</a> (UIFF) in Florence for its portrayal of what it means to be a girl child in Nepal today.An international jury selected <a href="https://www.mymovies.it/ondemand/uiff/movie/9726-a-scarecrow/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.mymovies.it/ondemand/uiff/movie/9726-a-scarecrow/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1635219475912000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGMn92yR9U9Eix-Lao3LSUPAhw5fw">A Scarecrow</a> written and directed by self-taught Nepali filmmaker, Rajesh Prasad Khatri, for the top award. Khatri, who is also a schoolteacher, is said to accurately depict the cultural barriers that often prevent young girls from gaining an education. "Being a teacher in the remotest village, I have had the privilege to interact with a group of innocent kids where I always learn to feel the stories of each students' cold homes, broken dreams, and their tears along with my experience.” Khatri said. “Most of all, these are the stories of truth which I am hoping to advocate for their rights and share their stories to the world through the medium of cinema.”https://youtu.be/eIwovOmOMMoThe Florence festival is organised by <a href="https://www.unicef-irc.org/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.unicef-irc.org/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1635219475912000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFFnFM55kBTg3qU0sYfcafgi6zycw">UNICEF’s Office of Research – Innocenti</a>, and celebrates films about children. This year’s festival was held 21-24 October and  featured 38 films from 29 countries. The Iris Award recognises excellence in filmmaking about children to encourage exploration of childhood all over the world as a cinematic theme. This year, a total of 1,700 films were submitted for consideration from 114 countries.The honor for the best overall film at UIFF is the UNICEF 75 Iris, created to mark UNICEF’s 75thanniversary, now being celebrated around the world. The jury selected <a href="https://www.mymovies.it/ondemand/uiff/movie/9726-a-scarecrow/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.mymovies.it/ondemand/uiff/movie/9726-a-scarecrow/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1635219475912000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGMn92yR9U9Eix-Lao3LSUPAhw5fw">A Scarecrow</a> because of its rich visual symbolism and its crucial message to uphold the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Set in a Himalayan mountain community in Nepal, the film tells the story of a young girl taken out of school to help her mother earn a living making scarecrows.  <figure><img width="640" height="475" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161128/636d196f9c7e80680e0ac81cjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Rajesh Prasad Khatri, the director of 'A Scarecrow,' that won the Iris Award at the UNICEF Innocenti Film Festival 2021. </figcaption></figure>The award for Best Film Under 18 Iris was made by a group of children in the slums of Nairobi, and tells the story of determination and creativity to play the game they love. The jury commended the artistry of the young amateur filmmakers as well as its message: young people will not allow their circumstances to hinder them. In the category Best Film, Childhood and Pandemic the winner was the short documentary, <a href="https://www.mymovies.it/ondemand/uiff/movie/9724-antara/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.mymovies.it/ondemand/uiff/movie/9724-antara/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1635219475912000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGi0BuiN-wDGZ-hDg1tdIdE8ZH6NA">Antara</a> about the Covid-19 lockdown as seen through the eyes of a young girl in Bangladesh. The Best Film in the non-fiction open category went to <a href="https://www.mymovies.it/ondemand/uiff/movie/9750-being-someone-else/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.mymovies.it/ondemand/uiff/movie/9750-being-someone-else/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1635219475913000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH5SrxuX2aIkRyInQVwWPr6SpsWwg">Being Someone Else</a> that follows a 13-year-old as she prepares for Comic Con and reflects on the impacts of her disability. The jury noted this intimate portrayal’s fresh perspective on understanding children with autism. The Best Film in the fiction category went to <a href="https://www.mymovies.it/ondemand/uiff/movie/9730-the-name-of-the-son/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.mymovies.it/ondemand/uiff/movie/9730-the-name-of-the-son/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1635219475913000&amp;usg=AFQjCNF3vHDJrfSwz7xIb6lf9reCpWaejg">The Name of the Son</a> that follows a 13-year-old trans boy on vacation with his father and younger sister, where the new closeness puts their relationship to the test. All films from UIFF will be available to stream online for free until 29 October via <a href="https://www.mymovies.it/ondemand/uiff/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.mymovies.it/ondemand/uiff/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1635219475913000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGXmrVdY5G1IMSjmupgf9ZmDAaLeA">MyMovies.it</a>.

Nepali film wins Unicef award

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161124/636d17e79c7e80680e0ac791jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="4096" height="2730"/>Children and young people across the world could feel the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/post-pandemic-mental-health-epidemic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">impact of Covid-19 on their mental health</a> for many years even after the worst effects of the pandemic are gone, a new UNICEF report warns.The annual <a href="https://www.unicef.org/reports/state-worlds-children-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">State of the World’s Children 2021: On My Mind </a>this year focuses on promoting, protecting and caring for children's mental health and is a comprehensive look at how children, adolescents and caregivers will be affected for many years into the future.Early findings from UNICEF and Gallup’s survey Changing Childhood Project previewed in the report show that one in five respondents aged 15–24 admitted to feeling depressed and losing interest in things. The survey interviewed approximately 20,000 children and adolescents from 21 countries as well as 40 and older.One-third of respondents of a Chinese online survey last year cited in the report reported feeling scared or anxious.“With nationwide lockdowns and pandemic-related movement restrictions, children have spent indelible years of their lives away from family, friends, classrooms, play – key elements of childhood itself,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. “The impact is significant, and it is just the tip of the iceberg.”According to the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)’s 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study, more than one in seven adolescents aged 10–19 globally is estimated to live with a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/coping-with-anxiety-in-new-lockdown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">diagnosed mental disorder</a>, some of which include depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, ADHD, autism, and eating disorders.WHO’s 2019 Global Health Estimates show that almost 46,000 adolescents die from suicide each year.Here in Nepal, community respondents say that <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/tackling-nepals-mental-health-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mental health is among the primary concerns</a> of children and adolescents. Nepal Police data shows that 8% of those who died by suicide nationwide in the last five years were minors. Some 20% of suicide ideation and calls to psychological helplines across Nepal are associated with violence, and 25% with economic deprivation.Statistics show a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/in-nepal-lockdown-a-domestic-violence-spike/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">direct correlation</a> between the lockdown and incidents of gender-based violence, sexual violence, and violence against children in Nepal. There have been 7,141 reported deaths due to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-sees-spike-in-suicides-during-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">suicides nationwide in the last 12 months</a>, up from 6,252 the year before.Additionally, recent surveys reveal that a significant number of households with children <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/1-in-5-nepal-families-lack-food/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">experienced economic and livelihood losses</a> during the 2020 lockdown, and the economic fallout continued into the 2021 lockdown as households experienced<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/half-of-nepalis-lost-jobs-in-past-month/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> job losses</a>, with little to no support from the government.At least one in every seven children globally has been directly affected by lockdowns. More than 1.6 billion children have <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/covid-19-cancels-regions-gains-in-education/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">lost access to education </a>during the pandemic, and the disruption to routines, recreation, as well as impact on family income and health has left young people with exacerbated mental health issues.Mental health issues cause long-term harm to children and young people’s education, life outcomes, and earning capacity. Indeed, a new analysis by the London School of Economics indicates that mental disorders leading to disability or death among young people cost economies nearly $390 billion annually.Despite the epidemic of mental health crisis among young people who are dealing with unaddressed psychological disorders, it doesn’t attract the investment from governments it deserves, and there were significant gaps between mental health needs and funding even before the pandemic.Indeed, the UNICEF report found that only about 2% of government health budgets are allocated to mental health spending globally.The report also notes that genetics, environmental factors including parenting, schooling and relationships, exposure to violence or abuse, discrimination, poverty, as well as humanitarian and health crises have an impact on children’s mental health.And while caregivers, safe school environments, and positive peer relationships can help reduce the risk of mental disorders, the stigma surrounding mental health and lack of funding prevent children from accessing required mental health resources.The report has called on world governments as well as the public and private sector to commit to addressing the <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/stigma-and-silence-mental-health-nepal,3486" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stigma surrounding mental health</a>; promoting mental health for children, adolescents and caregivers; taking experiences of children and young people seriously, and identifying and caring for vulnerable groups with psychological conditions.Said Fore: “Mental health is a part of physical health, we cannot afford to continue to view it as otherwise. For far too long, in rich and poor countries alike, we have seen too little understanding and too little investment in a critical element of maximising every child’s potential. This needs to change.

The other pandemic: mental health

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109121140/636b92179c7e80680e06f12bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="667"/><figcaption></figcaption></figure>UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors Priyanka Chopra Jonas, David Beckham, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Whoopi Goldberg, Angélique Kidjo, and Liam Neeson have joined a call demanding that G7 leaders commit to urgently donate doses of Covid-19 vaccines to poorer countries.The open letter, published ahead of the three-day G7 Leaders’ Summit beginning 11 June in Cornwall, UK urges the leaders to share a minimum of 20% of Covid-19 vaccine dose supply urgently, to reduce the risk of the virus spreading further and the threat of mutant strains."The world has spent a year and a half battling the Covid-19 pandemic, but the virus is still spreading in many countries and producing new variants with the potential to put us all back where we started," the letter reads. "This means more school closures, more healthcare disruptions, and greater economic fallout – threating the futures of families and childreneverywhere."Nepal has fully vaccinated close to 700,000 people using either AstraZeneca Covishield or Sinopharm VeroCell vaccines, a mere 4% of its total 30 million population.People in the age group 60-64 are currently being inoculated with their first dose with one million additional doses of VeroCell gifted by China earlier this month.But what Nepal immediately needs is Covidshield vaccines for at least 1.4 million Nepalis above 65 years who had received their first dose three months ago and are past their recommended time for the booster shot.The Serum Institute of India wasn't able to deliver remaining one million doses of Covishield due to the continued Indian ban on the export. The COVAX facility for global equitable distribution of Covid vaccine was able to send only the first consignment of 348,000 doses of Covishield to Nepal due to the bottleneck in supply.On Wednesday, Nepal recorded 4,344 new cases while 5,768 people made a successful recovery. There were 81 fatalities in the past 24 hours. There are now 80,336 active cases. Of 1,312 people in ICUs across the country, 375 are in ventilator support.The COVAX facility is already facing a shortfall of 190 million doses. By donating 20% of their vaccines between June and August, which amounts to 150 million doses, the G7 countries could temporarily compensate for this shortfall.And the G7 nations could do so without significant delay to current plans to vaccinate domestic adult populations, according to a recent data analysis by Airfinity, the life sciences research facility.“The pandemic won’t be over until it’s over everywhere, so it’s vital that all communities around the world have fair access to Covid-19 vaccines urgently,” says David Beckham, English footballer and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.Without urgently ensuring fair and equitable access supply, the world will continue to be at risk of deadly virus mutations – like the devastating second wave of Covid-19 sweeping across India and other South Asian countries including Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan.“The crisis in India shows why we must act now to avoid further deadly mutations ravaging low- and middle- income nations around the world. UNICEF and its COVAX partners are ensuring vaccines and treatments reaches the world’s most vulnerable populations, but cannot do it alone,” says Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Bollywood actor and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.“I’ve joined my fellow UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors in signing this letter, urgently asking G7 leaders to make this commitment at the UK summit this week, to keep families and children everywhere safe from Covid-19.”The letter reiterates that this weekend’s summit is a vital opportunity to get vaccines where they are most needed, fast, and urges leaders to set out a roadmap to scale-up donations as supplies increase, noting that forecasts suggest as many as one billion doses may be available for donation by year end.“Countries need not choose between fighting the disease at home or fighting it abroad. We can, and must, do both simultaneously – and immediately,” says Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. “This is a pivotal time in the fight against Covid-19, as leaders meet to set priorities for what form this fight will take in the coming weeks and months. The disease is not respecting boundaries on a map. Our fight to get ahead of the virus, and its variants, should not either.”The 28 high-profile UNICEF Ambassadors and Supporters joining the cause to ensure fair and equitable vaccine supply to low- and middle- income countries are Ramla Ali, Fernando Alonso, David Beckham, Orlando Bloom, José Manuel Calderón, Sofia Carson, Gemma Chan, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Olivia Colman, Billie Eilish, Pau Gasol, Whoopi Goldberg, David Harewood, Sir Chris Hoy, Angelique Kidjo, Téa Leoni, Lucy Liu, Juan Manuel López Iturriaga, Ewan McGregor, Alyssa Milano, Andy Murray, Liam Neeson, Liam Payne, Katy Perry, Sergio Ramos, Claudia Schiffer, Teresa Viejo and P!nk.

Hollywood call for urgent vaccine supply

<figure><img width="1644" height="1084" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131124/636ced8d9c7e80680e09add2jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>All photos: UNICEF NEPAL</figcaption></figure>UNICEF has made an urgent appeal ahead of a G7 summit next month to ask developed countries to release some of their vaccine stockpiles to fight the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic sweeping the Subcontinent.UNICEF with WHO are sponsors of the COVAX Facility that had promised to procure vaccines for developing countries so that they could inoculate at least 20% of their populations. Nepal has only received 348,000 out of the promised 2.248 million doses in March. By the end of this week, the global Covid vaccine equity scheme will have been able to deliver only 65 million of the 170 million doses it was supposed to ship out by now. By the time G7 leaders gather in the UK next month, and as <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/this-is-war/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a deadly new surge devastated India and Nepal</a>, the shortfall will near 190 million doses."We have issued repeated warnings of the risks of letting down our guard and leaving low and middle income countries without equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said in a strongly-worded statement issued in New York on Monday.She added: "While the situation in India is tragic, it is not unique. Cases are exploding and health systems are struggling in countries near – like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives – and far, like Argentina and Brazil. The cost for children and families will be incalculable."On Monday, Nepal recorded a spike in new cases <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/covid-19-numbers-slightly-down-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">after a slight dip over the weekend</a> with 9,247 new infections, 3,098 of them in Kathmandu Valley. Test positivity rate climbed back to 41.8%. Total fatalities in the last 24 hours also saw a notable increase at 214.There were 5,767 recoveries while 6,970 individuals are undergoing treatment in various hospitals across the country. Of them, 1,259 are in ICU and 400 in ventilators support. <figure><img width="2058" height="1238" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131124/636ced909c7e80680e09add3jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure><img width="640" height="355" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131124/636ced939c7e80680e09add4jpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="640" height="345" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131124/636ced969c7e80680e09add5jpeg.jpg" alt="">Nepal restarted its vaccination drive from 16 May for some 300,000 people in the age group 18-59 years who received their first dose of the Chinese VeroCell vaccine last month.So far less than 400,000 of Nepal’s 30 million population have been inoculated with both doses while the fate of 1.3 million who received the first shot of Covishield vaccine remains uncertain because of the ban on exports of the AstraZeneca covishield vaccine by India.Nepal has run out of AstraZeneca Covishield stock, and the COVAX initiative has not been able to deliver after its first consignment of 348,000 doses of the Covishield jab in March (pictured above).The <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/how-nepal-can-survive-2nd-covid-wave/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">clearest pathway out of this pandemic</a> is a global, equitable distribution of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics. But COVAX is undersupplied due to limited production capacity, particularly because of the surge in India, which is a global hub for vaccine production.Vaccine nationalism and lack of funding have also played a part in delaying the roll-out. The longer the virus continues to spread unchecked, the higher the risk of more deadly or contagious variants emerging. New data analysis provided by Airfinity, the life sciences research facility, and commissioned by the UK National Committee for UNICEF, indicates that G7 nations and ‘Team Europe’ group of European Union Member States could donate around 153 million vaccine doses if they shared just 20% of their available supply over June, July and August.Critically, they could do so while still meeting their commitments to vaccinate their own populations and buttress vulnerable countries against becoming the next global hotspot while doing so, warns Fore in her statement, adding that supporting the expansion of vaccine manufacturing capacity will help the global vaccinate race.She says: "These measures are critical, but they won’t change anything overnight. Sharing immediately available excess doses is a minimum, essential and emergency stop-gap measure, and it is needed right now."UNICEF helped the Nepal government on Monday to fly in 155,000 Covid-19 antigen test kits to Kathmandu. The kits will be used for quick testing to gauge community spread and at the Indian border.

UNICEF urges G7 to dispatch vaccines

<figure><img width="1644" height="1084" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111148/636b85779c7e80680e0677f5jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>All photos: UNICEF NEPAL</figcaption></figure>UNICEF has made an urgent appeal ahead of a G7 summit next month to ask developed countries to release some of their vaccine stockpiles to fight the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic sweeping the Subcontinent.UNICEF with WHO are sponsors of the COVAX Facility that had promised to procure vaccines for developing countries so that they could inoculate at least 20% of their populations. Nepal has only received 348,000 out of the promised 2.248 million doses in March. By the end of this week, the global Covid vaccine equity scheme will have been able to deliver only 65 million of the 170 million doses it was supposed to ship out by now. By the time G7 leaders gather in the UK next month, and as <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/this-is-war/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a deadly new surge devastated India and Nepal</a>, the shortfall will near 190 million doses."We have issued repeated warnings of the risks of letting down our guard and leaving low and middle income countries without equitable access to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said in a strongly-worded statement issued in New York on Monday.She added: "While the situation in India is tragic, it is not unique. Cases are exploding and health systems are struggling in countries near – like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives – and far, like Argentina and Brazil. The cost for children and families will be incalculable."On Monday, Nepal recorded a spike in new cases <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/covid-19-numbers-slightly-down-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">after a slight dip over the weekend</a> with 9,247 new infections, 3,098 of them in Kathmandu Valley. Test positivity rate climbed back to 41.8%. Total fatalities in the last 24 hours also saw a notable increase at 214.There were 5,767 recoveries while 6,970 individuals are undergoing treatment in various hospitals across the country. Of them, 1,259 are in ICU and 400 in ventilators support. <figure><img width="2058" height="1238" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111148/636b857a9c7e80680e0677f6jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure><img width="640" height="355" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111148/636b857d9c7e80680e0677f7jpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="640" height="345" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111148/636b85809c7e80680e0677f8jpeg.jpg" alt="">Nepal restarted its vaccination drive from 16 May for some 300,000 people in the age group 18-59 years who received their first dose of the Chinese VeroCell vaccine last month.So far less than 400,000 of Nepal’s 30 million population have been inoculated with both doses while the fate of 1.3 million who received the first shot of Covishield vaccine remains uncertain because of the ban on exports of the AstraZeneca covishield vaccine by India.Nepal has run out of AstraZeneca Covishield stock, and the COVAX initiative has not been able to deliver after its first consignment of 348,000 doses of the Covishield jab in March (pictured above).The <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/how-nepal-can-survive-2nd-covid-wave/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">clearest pathway out of this pandemic</a> is a global, equitable distribution of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics. But COVAX is undersupplied due to limited production capacity, particularly because of the surge in India, which is a global hub for vaccine production.Vaccine nationalism and lack of funding have also played a part in delaying the roll-out. The longer the virus continues to spread unchecked, the higher the risk of more deadly or contagious variants emerging. New data analysis provided by Airfinity, the life sciences research facility, and commissioned by the UK National Committee for UNICEF, indicates that G7 nations and ‘Team Europe’ group of European Union Member States could donate around 153 million vaccine doses if they shared just 20% of their available supply over June, July and August.Critically, they could do so while still meeting their commitments to vaccinate their own populations and buttress vulnerable countries against becoming the next global hotspot while doing so, warns Fore in her statement, adding that supporting the expansion of vaccine manufacturing capacity will help the global vaccinate race.She says: "These measures are critical, but they won’t change anything overnight. Sharing immediately available excess doses is a minimum, essential and emergency stop-gap measure, and it is needed right now."UNICEF helped the Nepal government on Monday to fly in 155,000 Covid-19 antigen test kits to Kathmandu. The kits will be used for quick testing to gauge community spread and at the Indian border.

<figure><img width="1440" height="960" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121156/636ce7419c7e80680e0967b2jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photo: UNICEF NEPAL</figcaption></figure>Just over a year of living with the pandemic, Nepalis were just starting to get back on their feet, their income and nutrition status was improving, when <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/kathmandu-locks-down-again/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">another lockdown was announced this week</a> to contain the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/unmasking-the-second-wave/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">second wave</a>.According to the latest round of the nationwide poll, the loss of jobs and livelihoods was down from 61% in July and 55% in May 2020 to 19% in January. However, 40% of Nepali households are at risk of falling back into poverty with earnings less than Rs10,000 per month.The recovery however is uneven, families where members have lost jobs, that have persons with disabilities and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepali-women-survive-pandemic-economy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">headed by the females</a> are earning none or less than 10K. <figure><img width="1318" height="1070" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121156/636ce7439c7e80680e0967b3jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>All graphs: UNICEF and SHARECAST INITIATIVE</figcaption></figure><img width="2194" height="1078" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121156/636ce7469c7e80680e0967b4jpeg.jpg" alt="">This was the sixth in a series of periodic household surveys conducted by Sharecast Initiative Nepal on behalf of UNICEF to track the socio-economic multi-sectoral impact of Covid-19 on children and families in Nepal, and was conducted before the current surge. Nepali Times has been tracking the outcomes of these surveys which were previously conducted in May, July, August and October and December.The latest survey in December also found out that 97% of the children were going to school with 89% of them taking classes online. Only 5% were being homeschooled. Bagmati and Gandaki provinces had most schools offering distance learning facilities.  Even as more parents gain confidence to send their children back to physical classrooms, up to 61% from as low as 38% back in October, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/learning-during-the-pandemic-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">remote learning will continue to be the norm</a> as schools close again following the latest surge in new cases and the new lockdowns from Thursday in 10 of the most populous districts, including Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur.  <figure><img width="856" height="1054" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121156/636ce7499c7e80680e0967b5jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Increase in parents' confidence levels to send their children back to physical classrooms.</figcaption></figure>In another decreasing tread, only 8% of households reported not getting <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/quarter-of-nepalis-still-hungry-during-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sufficient food</a> in January down from 19% back in<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/1-in-5-nepal-families-lack-food/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> August 2020</a>. The improvement is visible across all income groups, but less so for those in lower quantiles.On the nutrition front, 6% of respondents reported that their children were eating only 2 meals a day. These are mainly families struggling for food, with job losses, or from lower-income groups.Another 70% said their children were eating three meals a day, and a quarter of families said they could afford more than 3 meals a day. <img width="2398" height="1056" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121156/636ce74c9c7e80680e0967b6jpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="980" height="968" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121156/636ce74f9c7e80680e0967b7jpeg.jpg" alt="">How are Nepali families doing in terms of <a style="font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/free-soap-to-fight-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">safety measures against Covid-19?</a>The survey showed that 52% practised handwashing for 20 seconds or more all the time. Only 37% wore a mask in public at all times while only 10% practised 2m safe distancing every time they were out. Province 2 respondents scored lowest on all the fronts.There is a decreasing trend in the share of respondents reporting all the time or most of the time, with increases in those saying 'rarely' and 'never'. Lack of infrastructure and jobs were the main reasons given for not being able to practise protective measures. <img width="1050" height="970" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121156/636ce7519c7e80680e0967b8jpeg.jpg" alt=""><a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/in-nepal-lockdown-a-domestic-violence-spike/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Violence against women and children</a> on the other hand has steadily picked up with 6% witnessing violence against women and/or children in January.Interestingly, the top income group is the most likely to witness domestic violence against women while the lowest two income groups are more prone to abandon a child.Some 6%of respondents also noticed or heard of children being trafficked, the number went up to 26% with regards to child marriage and 6% for child labour or migration. Respondents from Province 2 were most likely to report all three.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepals-economic-downturn-1-year-after-lockdown/">Nepal’s economic downturn, 1 year after lockdown</a>, Ramesh Kumar

New Nepal lockdown may cancel gains

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181120/636be1b99c7e80680e083e65jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="933"/>The Covid-19 infection rate in Nepal is much higher in younger age groups but most fatalities are of people in their sixties and above. However, a new UNICEF report warns that an entire generation of young people are at risk because of the pandemic’s impact on health, education and nutrition.In Nepal, younger people are now taking home the SARS-CoV-2 virus and making their parents and grandparents seriously sick.The Covid-19 crisis has also disrupted vaccination campaigns for other diseases in Nepal, and threatens to undo decades of progress in child survival.Critical health services, lack of medicines and restrictions on mobility has lead to dramatic rise in maternal and child mortality as well as outbreaks of infectious diseases such as of measles in Nepal’s Dhading and Gorkha districts.Children and adolescents are thought to be the least affected by the coronavirus disease. But as the pandemic lurches towards a second year, an entire generation of young people is at the risk of facing life-altering impact on health, education and nutrition.A UNICEF report launched on World Children’s Day on Friday lists the serious and growing consequences for children as the pandemic drags on.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/covid-19-impact-on-food-and-school-in-nepali-children/">Covid-19 impact on food and school in Nepali children</a>, Nepali TimesAverting a Lost COVID Generation points out that while symptoms among children remain mild, infection rates are rising and the coronavirus crisis threatens to cause longer-term and irreversible impact on their education, nutrition and well-being.“Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic there has been a persistent myth that children are barely affected by the disease. Nothing could be further from the truth,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. “Disruptions to key services and soaring poverty rates pose the biggest threat to children. The longer the crisis persists, the deeper its impact on children’s education, health, nutrition and well-being. The future of an entire generation is at risk.”The UNICEF report has compiled age-aggregated data from 87 countries and found that children and adolescents under 20 years account for 1 in 9 reported Covid-19 infection or at least 11% of the 25.7 million cases. More importantly, they transmit the virus to the larger population more at the risk.The report has estimated that 2 million additional child deaths and 200,000 additional stillbirths could occur over a 12-month period worldwide with severe interruptions to services and rising malnutrition.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/rise-in-poverty-due-to-covid-19-to-affect-children/">Rise in poverty due to Covid-19 to affect children</a>, Nepali TimesRestrictions imposed to contain the pandemic has meant that the number of children living in multi-dimensional poverty. As a result 6 to 7 million children under the age of 5 are likely to suffer from wasting or acute malnutrition in 2020, a 14% rise that will translate into more than 10,000 additional child deaths per month – mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.There is a 40% decline in the coverage of nutrition services for women and children across 135 countries. As of October 2020, 265 million children were still missing out on school meals globally. More than 250 million children under 5 could miss the life-protecting benefits of Vitamin A supplementation programs.While a more reliable, age-disaggregated data on infection, deaths and testing is needed to better understand how the crisis impacts the most vulnerable children, there is strong evidence that the net benefits of keeping schools open outweigh the costs of closing them.But schools have been closed for almost a year in Nepal and ad hoc online classes has only exposed the country’s digital divide more than ever. This has experts worried that past achievements in school enrollment will undermined.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/children-are-collateral-damage-in-nepal-lockdown/">Children are collateral damage in lockdown</a>, Sonia AwaleA school in Humla that had opened after eight months last week saw 32 students and teachers testing positive to Covid-19, and this is likely to make local government’s in areas with low infection rates rethink resumption of classes.A survey by the Room To Read literacy group in August showed that 53% of female students may not go back to schools when they reopen.As of November 2020, 572 million students are affected by country-wide school closures across the world, and this is 33% of the total enrolled students worldwide.“This World Children’s Day, we are asking governments, partners and the private sector to listen to children and prioritise their needs,” added Fore. “As we all reimagine the future and look ahead toward a post-pandemic world, children must come first.”On Friday UNICEF Nepal is also hosting a virtual children’s parliamentary session and is launching a mental health campaign ‘म छु नि’ (Here for You) for children and adolescents.Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns and restrictions have had added to mental health problems of young people and can have a lasting impact on their long-term development.In Nepal, 1 in 12 children aged 10-14 years and 1 in 10 aged 15-17 years experience anxiety, and 2% of 10-17 year olds suffer from depression.

The lost ‘Covid Generation’

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915118/636bb4569c7e80680e07bb98jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"/><figcaption>Photo: OM ASTHA RAI/NEPALI TIMES ARCHIVE</figcaption></figure>The world recorded an all-time low under-five deaths in 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in major disruptions to health services that threaten to undo decades of hard-won progress and put millions of additional lives at stake.There were 5.2 million children who died of preventable causes last year, compared to 12.5 million in 1990. But UNICEF, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Bank say the pandemic may force the mortality rate up again.“The global community has come too far towards eliminating preventable child deaths to allow the Covid-19 pandemic to stop us in our tracks,” says HenriettaFore, UNICEF Executive Director. “When children are denied access to health services because the system is overrun, and when women are afraid to give birth at the hospital for fear of infection, they, too, may become casualties of COVID-19.”Indeed, although SARS-CoV-2 seems to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/why-are-younger-people-in-poor-countries-dying-of-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spare the younger population</a>, disruptions in medical care and in the supply chain for essential medicines is leading to a spike in non-coronavirus fatalities among children.For instance, the under-5 child mortality rate in Nepal had declined substantially from 271 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1969 to 31 in 2019 -- a dramatic 78% reduction from 1990 levels.Health services to prevent or treat causes of child death such as preterm, low birth weight, complications during birth, neonatal sepsis, pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria, as well as vaccination, have played a large role in this progress.But following Covid-19 lockdown, Nepal saw a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/children-are-collateral-damage-in-nepal-lockdown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">30% increase in the number of under-fives who have died</a> in the March-April-June this year compared to the same period last year – mainly due lack of transport to take sick children to hospital, or reluctance to seek medical attention because of the fear of the virus.A rapid assessment conducted by UNFPA in coordination with Family Welfare Division during the initial phase of the lockdown period in Nepal also reported more than 60% decline in antenatal visits and 35% <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/infant-deaths-up-during-nepal-lockdown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">decrease in institutional delivery as compared to before the restriction</a>.A UNICEF survey conducted over the past few months across 77 countries found that almost 68% of countries reported disruption in health checks for children and immunisation services, 63% in antenatal checkups and 59% in post-natal care.A recent WHO survey in 105 countries revealed that 52% of countries were experiencing disruptions in health services for sick children and 51% in services for management of malnutrition.“The fact that today more children live to see their first birthday than any time in history is a true mark of what can be achieved when the world puts health and well-being at the centre of our response,” says Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Now, we must not let the COVID-19 pandemic turn back remarkable progress for our children and future generations.”Based on the responses from countries that participated in the surveys, the most commonly cited reasons for health service disruptions included parents avoiding health centres for fear of infection, transport restrictions, suspension or closure of services and facilities, fewer healthcare workers due to diversions or fear of infection due to shortages in personal protective equipment, and greater financial difficulties.Back in May, initial modelling by Johns Hopkins University also showed that <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/pre-existing-diseases-may-kill-more-children/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6,000 additional children worldwide could die per day</a> due to disruptions due to COVID-19.To be sure, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/newborn-deaths-and-a-vision-for-a-post-pandemic-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">newborns</a> across the world were at highest risk of death even before Covid-19 pandemic. In 2019, a newborn baby died every 13 seconds. Moreover, 47% of all under-five deaths occurred in the neonatal period, up from 40% in 1990. Severe disruptions in essential health services due to Covid-19 have only added to the challenge.Says John Wilmoth, Director of the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, “While this report highlights the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, it also draws attention to the need to redress the vast inequities in a child’s prospects for survival and good health.”

Covid-19 to reverse child survival gains

Born in Khandbari in eastern Nepal, Parashuram Pathak helped his family around the farm, sold what they grew in the market and lent a hand in the kitchen.&nbsp; After working as a chef in Dubai, San Francisco, Denmark, Australia, and on cruise ships, Pathak has now brought back what he has learnt to the Tusa Restaurant in Bhaktapur that opened on Nepali New Year on 13 April. Tusa uses fresh indigenous ingredients from various parts of Nepal, and fuses them with international methods to produce unique dishes. Pathak is a global Nepali, and is introducing global Nepali cuisine to his homeland. Pathak left an executive chef job to intern at three-Michelin-starred Noma in Denmark, named the best restaurant in the world five times. Noma runs on a philosophy of foraging to rediscover wild local ingredients, and Tusa’s mission is similarly noble: preparing dishes with Nepali ingredients using modern techniques and equipment. “We are taking Nepali food beyond dal-bhat and momo, we are taking it international,” Pathak said on the phone from Sydney. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepali-baker-rises-to-the-top-in-denmark">Denmark’s best baker is a Nepali</a>, Vishad Onta  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240419180424_1312bc016cbb2fe59c6d4a78d1f8b463af4a10b3f79559a2405fd54ea5b3197a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240419180424_1312bc016cbb2fe59c6d4a78d1f8b463af4a10b3f79559a2405fd54ea5b3197a" data-rendition-name="original" width="801" height="802" loading="lazy" alt="The return of the natives Page 12 NT #1208"> <figcaption>Photo: PARASHURAM PATHAK/FACEBOOK</figcaption> </figure>  Pathak’s team in Nepal includes chefs Rupesh Bohara and Sagar Shrestha who have also worked extensively in Dubai and Australia, and share his vision. The three realised they shared the same dream, and over the past five years have travelled across Nepal to research their menu, collecting ingredients and ideas from homestays, food carts, and nature. The team then scouted for Nepal’s best architect, and zeroed in on Bhaktapur-based heritage conservationist Rabindra Puri who designed the Malla-era house for Tusa in the Nag Pokhari neighbourhood. Bohara and Shrestha have moved back to Nepal for good, and Pathak arrives in September. “I made dishes from all over the world, but when someone asked what Nepali food was like, I had no answer,” says Bohara, “I came back to find out.” &nbsp;“You can get citizenship, a green card, big houses and cars, but where is the self-satisfaction?” asks Shrestha, who has a red-and-blue chef’s knife with the sun and moon of the Nepali flag tattooed on his right forearm.&nbsp; Read also:<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/diaspora-diaries/the-return-of-a-master-baker"> The return of a master baker</a>, Raju Pakhrin  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240419180424_c601264463e5a28d4e71a46781f340a53619a08d00949a7aaebfef84e75a319d.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240419180424_c601264463e5a28d4e71a46781f340a53619a08d00949a7aaebfef84e75a319d" data-rendition-name="original" width="6000" height="4000" loading="lazy" alt="The return of the natives Page 12 NT #1208"> <figcaption>Photos: TUSA</figcaption> </figure>  Bohara and Shrestha passionately recount stories of their trips across Nepal, speaking of generous lodge owners who introduced them to local ingredients. Tusa can seat 28, and dining here is a sensory experience with a live kitchen. The chefs cook and place dishes on a large granite countertop with induction sections built in. Behind the counter is a grill on an indoor fire with pulley control to adjust the fire. Everything that can be made in Nepal — chairs and tables, ceramic dishes, the grill — is locally sourced. The executive kitchen/laboratory is downstairs. It is spacious, spotless, and contains appliances rarely seen in restaurants here: a sous vide machine that cooks vacuum-sealed packets at consistent temperatures, and a dehydrator for sisnu nettles. A fresh batch of deep purple kimbu (mulberry) muffins has just come out of the oven. Fridges have dry-aged fish and marigold kombucha. Fermentation seems to be the theme at Tusa, and Pathak explained: “Fermentation takes away the natural sugars in food, leaving behind a true, umami taste.”&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/vikings-khukri-passion">Viking's khukri passion</a>, Alisha Sijapati  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240419180424_c59e2b4230864f646bc36108adb951e95ec85da6156740294b1ec715b86acf89.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240419180424_c59e2b4230864f646bc36108adb951e95ec85da6156740294b1ec715b86acf89" data-rendition-name="original" width="5895" height="3930" loading="lazy" alt="The return of the natives Page 12 NT #1208"> </figure>  Tusa itself means ‘shoot’ in Nepali, and can be a dish of fermented bamboo shoots. The restaurant serves a tasting menu with six courses, plus surprises. It starts with a fermented potato and millet roti with charred green garlic and tomato chutney. The bread tastes like a mix of alu paratha and kodoko roti with a satisfying, mild flavour. The chefs do not show off, and overdo it. Dishes are tastefully simple and faithful, a theme that runs through the meal. The second course is a filet of fish charred on one side and placed in a broth. It is delicate and smokey, and does not mask the character of the fish.&nbsp; The next is Batuk Chukauni, a Magar dish with a lentil snack and a yoghurt-based potato achar. The batuk, made of lentil batter, is light and the chukauni has potatoes and peas. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/money-is-not-everything-but-you-need-money-for-everything">"Money is not everything, but you need money for everything"</a>, Rohit Shrestha  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240419180424_e3f51228ff792e8d4297f81f8e67d138584e922ae035d131977494219e5e85c5.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20240419180424_e3f51228ff792e8d4297f81f8e67d138584e922ae035d131977494219e5e85c5" data-rendition-name="original" width="1333" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="The return of the natives Page 12 NT #1208"> <figcaption>Batuk Chukauni. Photo: VISHAD ONTA</figcaption> </figure>  Next is a skewer of jackfruit with a tamarind and mustard glaze that has the texture of a slice of sausage and melts in the mouth. Then comes the first off-menu item: a steak of watermelon, glazed and grilled, tasting sweet, sour and smokey. After that a palate cleanser sorbet made with laligurans syrup adorned with a frozen candied rhododendron petal. Finally the main course: barbeque chicken and chyakla coarse corn grits. The chicken has been brined, marinated, cooked sous-vide and seared on the grill. The delicate consistency of the chicken stands out. Desert is a smooth, creamy cheesecake that uses the local juju-dhau yoghurt. And the last course is a moist, moss-green sisnu cake laced with mulberry jam and cream.&nbsp; There is nothing gimmicky about Tusa. It is the coming together of skilled Nepalis with international exposure who have mixed what they have learnt abroad with the flavours of home.&nbsp; The tasting menu is Rs3,500, and it may take some time before Nepalis develop a predilection for some of its items. The chefs are excited, vindicated, and relieved. Coming back to Nepal, uprooting successful careers abroad to take a chance on Nepal must not have been easy.&nbsp; Tusa had a soft launch on New Year’s day with Kathmandu-based diplomats. Australian Ambassador Felicity Volk was one of them, and wrote on a Facebook post: ‘Chefs who honed their skills in Australia and returned to Nepal to give back. We call it fine dining, they call it #cominghome.’ Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/the-baker-of-barpak">The baker of Barpak</a>, Tara Aryal Pandey

The return of the natives

For a year or two after the 25 April 2015 earthquake, the residents of Kathmandu were too terrified to return to their high-rise apartments. None of them collapsed in the 7.8 disaster, but many sustained serious structural damage. &nbsp;
Fast forward nine years, and they have all but forgotten that frightful day. Kathmandu is back to building substandard structures, even as land prices drive developers to build taller.&nbsp;
With no more space to spread horizontally, Kathmandu is going vertical. But structural engineers say most of the high rises do not take into account seismicity, soil condition, construction methods, quality of raw materials, fire hazard, and search and rescue in collapsed concrete structures.
“Much of our focus since the 2015 earthquake has been on building and construction, but not as much on where we are building,” warns Sangeeta Singh, Professor of Urban Planning and Deputy Director of Centre for Disaster Studies at the Institute of Engineering.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/in-a-disastrous-state">In a disastrous state</a>, Sonia Awale
She adds: “Kathmandu is not really suited for high-rises. We have to first test the condition of the soil, but building permits are being issued without this fundamental step.”
Kathmandu Valley is a former lakebed with soft topsoil prone to liquefaction and excessive shaking, as seen during the 1934 megaquake. Many ruptures tore up the surface in 2015. &nbsp;
During an earthquake, the rock layers below Kathmandu ring like a bell and the vibrations on the surface take between 0.5 to 2 seconds for one oscillation. Buildings also vibrate, but at different frequencies depending on their height, construction material, and arrangement of their structural components.
At five floors, the vibration period of a building is 0.5 seconds, which is the same as that for Kathmandu Valley, and this could cause more damage, says structural engineer Surya Narayan Shrestha at the National Society for Earthquake Technology - Nepal (NSET).
“Building anything that is five storeys or higher in Kathmandu needs special design and structural considerations,” says Shrestha.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/shaking-things-up">Shaking things up</a>, Editorial
Technologies exist to reduce seismic risk in high-rises, and these are used in earthquake-prone cities like Tokyo, Los Angeles, Jakarta or Mexico City.&nbsp;
Base isolation, for example, separates the vibration of the land and the building, reducing damage from soil-building resonance. Base isolators move and stretch under pressure, absorbing much of an earthquake's impact by reducing swaying and shaking. &nbsp;
Seismic dampers change the pattern of vibration altogether, dissipating energy as vibrations move across a structure. But these are all expensive technologies, and none of the high-rises in Kathmandu use them.
However, Nepali engineers who can help with technology transfer are working in the field in Nepal and overseas. Kathmandu’s high-rises are already very expensive, and making them seismic-resistant would be an incremental cost.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/learning-from-jajarkot-what-we-didnt-after-2015-695vpzle">Learning from Jajarkot what we didn't after 2015</a>, Sushil Gyewali
The shape of high-rises also matters. Reinforced concrete buildings with asymmetric designs of the kind that are seen in newer structures in Kathmandu experience more torsion and shear during quakes. High-rises with regular geometry are stronger. &nbsp;&nbsp;
An even bigger concern is that of emergency evacuation and rescue in case of fire or earthquake. Kathmandu fire services do not have ladders that reach the higher floors of most new structures.
“High-rises mean more people and potentially higher casualties,” explains Shrestha. “We need immediate evacuation routes, fire escapes, emergency ladders, and fire trucks that can reach higher. Right now, safety features are voluntary and not mandatory.”
The street access, shelters, open spaces, and evacuation routes are integral to disaster preparedness and the safety of neighbourhoods and not just buildings. Most new high-rises in Kathmandu have narrow access roads.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/rebuilding-resilience-7-years-later">Rebuilding resilience 7 years later</a>, Anil Pokhrel
Since most of the buildings that survived the 2015 disaster were reinforced concrete structures, it fed the misconception that they are safer. But Himalayan seismologists say that if the intensity and duration of the shaking had been just a little higher, many substandard concrete structures would have collapsed.&nbsp;
And that is the final gap: Nepal’s limited expertise and equipment for search and rescue inside collapsed concrete structures. Kathmandu’s high-rises need to be better prepared for the next Big One.
“Structural safety and design were at the front and the centre after the 2015 earthquake, we also revised some building codes but we are back to square one with contractor-driven construction, especially in peri-urban areas,” says Sangeeta Singh, who is also with the National Planning Commission. “We need to monitor construction as much as design.”&nbsp;
Shrestha at NSET agrees there have been improvements in building practices in the past nine years, but adds, “We have both learnt and unlearnt lessons from 2015. The awareness hasn’t yet translated into action on safety.”
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/lessons-not-learned-from-2015-o2etq6zu">Lessons not learned from 2015</a>, Sonia Awale

The rise of high-rises

Midway along the stretch of the ancient trade route between Tibet and India lies the Kel Tol neighbourhood. The name is derived from the original Koligrām, and it is believed the Koli people, who were originally from Rāmagrām in present-day southern Nepal near the Indian border, settled here. The Koli were the maternal ancestors of none other than the Buddha. Kel Tol is famous for the Buddhist monastic complex of Kanak Chaitya Mahāvihar, featuring the majestic two-tiered gilded temple of the white god Karunāmaya.&nbsp; This elaborately decorated courtyard is a bustling centre of the Vajrayāna sect of Buddhism, practised widely by the indigenous Newā people of Kathmandu Valley. Karunāmaya, also known as Ārya Avalokiteshwor, is defined in great detail in the 1st century CE Buddhist text Sadharmapundarikā where he liberates all sentient beings from suffering. He helps rid the eight external fears metaphorically equated with their equivalent internal states of mind: lions (pride), wild elephants (ignorance), fire (anger), snakes (jealousy), floods (attachment), imprisonment (miserliness), thieves (wrong views) and cannibals (doubt).  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240418130432_fe370cbee75003cd3eb5dccc7c3b2671630da193b0744db2aeac1bab3ff4a85c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240418130432_fe370cbee75003cd3eb5dccc7c3b2671630da193b0744db2aeac1bab3ff4a85c" data-rendition-name="original" width="1338" height="2000" loading="lazy" alt="Seto Machhindranath"> </figure>  In the Pancha Rakshyā Sutra, a Buddhist scripture from 200 CE, Ārya Avalokiteshwor was counted among the eight major deities. Followers of the Brāhminical god Shiva worship Ārya Avalokiteshwor as Seto Machhindranāth. For Shaivites, Machhindranāth is the Indian saint who founded the Nāth cult in the 10th century CE. He is the guru of saint Gorakhnāth. During the reign of Yakshya Malla (1428–1482 CE), a beautiful image of Ārya Avalokiteshwor was dug up by a farmer in present-day Jamal, which was then a cultivated area outside the city. The farmer, known as a Jamami (meaning the one from Jamal) took the image home for safekeeping. That night, Ārya Avalokiteshwor appeared in the farmer’s dream and told him that the proper place for him to reside is at the confluence of two rivers. The nearest confluence was at present-day Wongha (Indrachok) and the image was installed in the Kanak Chaitya Mahāvihar complex in Kel Tol near Wongha. This made it easier for city residents to pay homage to Ārya Avalokiteshwor and spread compassion. Soon, the deity came to be revered highly as Jamaleshwor, the one found in Jamal. Eventually, the name got corrupted, as happens often in Nepāl Bhāsā, to Janabahā Dyo. The courtyard where his temple is located is now popularly known as Janabahā.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240418130432_5c9b219530e400445ef4e7f64856b43e7cdb756be26d9ed4565c84044c178a7e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240418130432_5c9b219530e400445ef4e7f64856b43e7cdb756be26d9ed4565c84044c178a7e" data-rendition-name="original" width="2500" height="1668" loading="lazy" alt="Seto Machhindranath"> </figure>  The gilded temple of Janabahā Dyo, first built in the early 16th century CE, is adorned with wooden and metal artefacts that symbolise 108 forms of Ārya Avalokiteshwor. It stands out as the most decorated temple of its kind in Kathmandu. Today, Janabahā is a living heritage site where many ancient customs and rituals are widely practised as per Vajrayāna Buddhist tradition. Devotees throng the Janabahā Dyo shrine for daily worship and to receive Karunāmaya’s blessings. Being the compassionate one, Ārya Avalokiteshwor goes around town every year in his tall wooden chariot to allow sick and physically disabled devotees to pay homage to him from the comfort of their homes. One could say it is a door-to-door visit by the Compassionate One.&nbsp; For the pragmatic minded, the chariot festival is an annual renewal of communal harmony, validation of our ancient mathematical supremacy and demonstration of the need to keep practical skills alive, including the craft of building earthquake resilient houses.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240418130432_fc8b234ceca87dee4b99e897a485cef121fb953857fb61492a413fbfcc48360c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240418130432_fc8b234ceca87dee4b99e897a485cef121fb953857fb61492a413fbfcc48360c" data-rendition-name="original" width="2500" height="1667" loading="lazy" alt="Seto Machhindranath"> </figure>  The Janabahā Dyo chariot is pulled from Jamal, where his image was found by the farmer, through the historic heart of Kathmandu in a gala parade every year. The procession, accompanied by folk music ensembles and revellers, starts on the eighth day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra, and lasts up to a week (ending on Saturday this year). Hundreds of devotees pull the chariot along the streets as a way of expressing their gratitude to lord Karunāmaya for blessing them with compassion and well-being. Purna Ratna Vajrāchārya is an ordained priest who belongs to the clan responsible for taking care of Janabahā Dyo. He has been studying the design and architecture of the chariot for the past 40 years, and overseeing its construction for the past 15. He has learnt that the engineering principles of building the chariot are based on the mathematical system in which Buddhism is taught. For example, 365 pieces of wood are used in the chariot, each representing a day of the year. Each of the four wheels consist of 25 pieces of wood, totalling 100, representing completeness or fulfilment. The chariot is vertically divided into 13 sections, a parallel to the Buddhist concept of Trayodashi Bhuvana that describes the 13 steps that one must take to achieve the state of Nirvana.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240418130432_36d9964c9845f6d9a074786361fc5ab7d49138503ad162086998b731349b0ec0.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240418130432_36d9964c9845f6d9a074786361fc5ab7d49138503ad162086998b731349b0ec0" data-rendition-name="original" width="2500" height="1668" loading="lazy" alt="Seto Machhindranath"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240418130432_2662753a9514a682ccdfd17bf05e2be3771183a68dc86b717ab67d9aad894563.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20240418130432_2662753a9514a682ccdfd17bf05e2be3771183a68dc86b717ab67d9aad894563" data-rendition-name="original" width="1668" height="2500" loading="lazy" alt="Seto Machhindranath"> </figure>  &nbsp;Exactly nine types of wood are used, which is the sum of the four base elements that make up the universe (earth, water, fire and air) and the five human senses. The height and length of the chariot is 32 arm’s length (hāt in Sanskrit), 14.8m. The number 32 represents the maximum number of auspicious and physical qualities one could possess to be considered an outstanding human being.&nbsp; Says Vajrācharya, “Observing how the chariot is built helps one learn the fundamental pillars of the Buddha’s teachings, and find an easier path to Nirvana.” The structural design of the nearly 15m wooden chariot is not only awe-inspiring but also gravity-defying. It leverages the pliancy of the materials used in its construction -- flexible joints tied with cane soaked in water for several days. The precise proportions of the chariot ensure great manoeuverability in the narrow streets along the route of the chariot procession that include some 90° bends, without colliding into houses.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240418130432_9f5c2943f5d6b3f0010d3d5213697549945e87a6f7d3d8cbadd69f0dea6c6e2c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240418130432_9f5c2943f5d6b3f0010d3d5213697549945e87a6f7d3d8cbadd69f0dea6c6e2c" data-rendition-name="original" width="2500" height="3750" loading="lazy" alt="Seto Machhindranath"> </figure>  Driving and steering the chariot with brute muscle power of the mirthful crowd is a seemingly impossible task. But this has been achieved year after year, despite the fact that the devotees who tug wildly at the ropes lassoed to the two front wheels, are most likely in high-spirits (pun intended). Sanjay Manandhar, a US-based technology entrepreneur, recounts how his high school physics teacher from Canada asked his students to go observe the locals build the chariots of Karunāmaya if they were interested in becoming engineers in the future.&nbsp; “That made no sense to me then, but, after all these decades, I now see clearly how the structural design of the chariot, adopted early on by our ancestors is full of earthquake-resilient properties that need to be applied in building houses in an earthquake-prone zone like Nepal,” says Manandhar. A highlight of the chariot festival is that human goddess Kumari makes an appearance at the final destination in Lagan, usually on the third day. This is only one of the 13 times that people get to see the Kumari outside her temple abode.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240418130432_08aa39f3f004a212b33c60a2840d6013110de15dd34a0288f699dd5fda8957ab.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20240418130432_08aa39f3f004a212b33c60a2840d6013110de15dd34a0288f699dd5fda8957ab" data-rendition-name="original" width="2500" height="1667" loading="lazy" alt="Seto Machhindranath"> </figure>  On the last day of the festival (Saturday), the image of lord Karunāmaya is carried on a palanquin by priests from Janabahā in a gala procession and brought back to his permanent residence at the temple in Kel Tol.&nbsp; The chariot festival is thought to have started during the reign of King Pratap Malla of Kantipur in the 17th century CE. For close to four centuries, the construction of the chariot and its operation has proven to be a phenomenal engineering feat, and the people’s faith in divinity means the tradition is alive.&nbsp; The essence of the colourful rituals and the religious beliefs of this ancient chariot festival is now all but lost. The logic, technology and practicality must be brought back to light, as they reflect the high civilisation and wisdom of our ancestors that we can leverage in modern times and into the future. &nbsp; Alok Tuladhar is a culture and heritage documentarian.

Kathmandu’s gravity-defying chariot festival

In the run-up to the third Nepal Investment Summit this weekend, there have been seminars, conferences and workshops where the discourse has revolved around the economy and the investment climate.
The consensus that Nepal needs foreign direct investments (FDI) to grow was repeated, and the familiar litany of reasons about why it has not been able to was discussed.&nbsp;
Policy advocates and regulators have understood that the lack of urgency is compounded by procedural inconsistencies, on top of the already deficient investment environment in the country.
It is a welcome change from what used to be flippantly accepting matters as given. There now seems to be a sense of urgency, with procedural inconsistencies and lack of harmonisation between various Acts and regulations openly discussed.&nbsp;
Government stakeholders also appear more willing to learn and attempt to be part of the solution. Whatever policy changes have been introduced in the past have been piecemeal and address the few rather than the entire industry. This left dual regulatory approaches aimed at similar players.&nbsp;
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/killing-investment-in-nepal-in-10-easy-steps">Killing investment in Nepal in 10 easy steps</a>, Dibesh Karmacharya
This time, unlike in the past two Summits, the government seems to be committed to amending 9 Acts, a positive step towards showing commitment to change. However, the deadline to do so during the winter session of Parliament is over. The option mooted has been to have it passed through ordinance, a lesser appealing step; albeit, a positive one moving forward.&nbsp;
To attract FDI in a competitive global market means that Nepal has to demonstrate that it is serious about bringing in investments with a more consultative and collaborative approach with investors. A departure from procedural to a result-oriented focus is needed.&nbsp;
To put issues in perspective, Nepal needs US$20 billion in investments to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets by 2030. If net-zero decarbonisation targets are to be met by 2045, another US$7 billion will be required annually.&nbsp;
Looking at our investment history and poor government capital expenditure, the gap is long and wide. In fiscal year 2022-23 Nepal booked a lamentable ~$59 million in FDI (equity). Nepal is in fact the lowest market in South Asia for FDI with 0.3% of the regional average.&nbsp;
What is it that we can do to fill the gap?&nbsp;
First, we need to move away from the notion that Nepal only needs large investments. This has proven to be a mistake, and time series data have proven that smaller investments, in aggregate, make a larger impact on economies.&nbsp;
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/poor-cash-rich-nepal">Poor cash-rich Nepal</a>, Sonia Awale
We talk about an ‘enabling environment’ but without the right tools. We place restrictions on interest on debt ceiling (SOFR +5.5), without risk premium adjustments, we do not have an active secondary market for bond trading, nor do we have a yield curve, an integral part of the bond market, which is inhibiting us from tapping into the trillion dollar green bond market.&nbsp;
In order to attract green financing, Nepal needs to develop its bond market. Sovereign risk rating has been mooted and was expected to be operationalised before the Investment Summit.&nbsp;
However, to be rated in an adverse economic environment could further deteriorate investment potential due to a lesser-than-expected rating.&nbsp;
Hedging is another instrument that needs further research on. A commercial bank last year showcased the first risk-hedging mechanism for an investment of $8 million. This can be the beginning to expand on its modality. &nbsp;
Subordinated debt instruments have been introduced, but on a special nod basis, this now needs to be institutionalised as it is the most applicable form of investment after equity in a market that has volatile forex reserves.&nbsp;
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/invest-in-investment">Invest in investment</a>, Nepali Times
Viability Gap Funding has been introduced by multilateral development agencies implemented in solar installations. It is a tool to incentivise the private sector to invest in projects that are not financially lucrative initially, but have potential for profitability in the long run. This needs to be scaled up and replicated in sectors like infrastructure, where returns may not be immediate.
Moving forward, to attract FDI, Nepal needs to tap into the funds that are available for the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and climate change. Alternative investments such as Private Equity Venture Capital (PEVC) have been around in a structured manner in Nepal for nearly a decade now.
These funds have blended finance components and have attracted climate funding as well. PEVC is a new asset class and can address the issues of penetrating into SME financing by incorporating environment, social and governance issues into their investment process.&nbsp;
SMEs are the backbone of any economy, PEVC comes with the ability not only to scale up the enterprise with risk capital, but with the ability to bring technical knowhow to enhance not only the enterprise but also the entrepreneur.&nbsp;
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/success-in-nepal-means-not-having-to-work">Success in Nepal means not having to work</a>, Anil Chitrakar
A differentiator from all other forms of financing available till date in Nepal. Blended finance is a way of de-risking investments, especially in frontier markets. Business Oxygen (BO2) is an example of blended finance with subordinated debt investments of IFC (World Bank Group) taking the lead and Climate Investment Funds along with FCDO as co-investors.&nbsp;
On a larger scale, the 216MW Upper Trisuli 1 is another example of blended finance with IFC, a Korean consortium and local investments. So far, we see that development finance Institutions have been taking the lead in Nepal as their risk appetite is greater than commercial investors and they are eager to help develop the financial markets.&nbsp;
In order to be sustainable, we need to step on this and attract commercial capital from all over the world. To do this there has to be political will to make that pivot.&nbsp;
Instead of being a means to an end, the two previous Investment Summits turned out to be intermittent and cosmetic, providing hardly any results. The third one’s success will depend on how the event will be implemented as a platform for continuous marketing for the country and facilitation for investors in future.&nbsp;
Nepal has outdone many countries in its macro-economic indicators, with sound forex reserves and a stellar history of debt payments to its creditors. This story needs to be propagated along with the drive for change to attract potential investors.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/alternative-investments-to-attract-fdi">Alternative investments to attract FDI</a>, Siddhant Raj Pandey

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