Fuel Crisis

While we wing our way from Chicago to Istanbul to Kathmandu, I thought I'd give you a bit of background on the current situation in Nepal. 

Everyone knows that on April 25, 2015 a huge earthquake struck Nepal. That initial quake plus the many aftershocks caused widespread damage across Nepal, leaving thousands without homes just as the monsoon season started.

But not everyone knows about the recent fuel crisis, which has visited almost as much havoc on the people of Nepal. 

On September 20, 2015, Nepal signed into law a new constitution. It was a huge victory for stability, prosperity, and the hope of a functional government for Nepal. The earthquake response had shown the world how bad things were - this was a big step forward.

But many people were not happy about the document. The Madhesi people, who make up 51% of Nepal's population but occupy only 17% of its landmass, feel that the new constitution treats them badly. And it's true. 

The people in this area have strong ties to India - they live right on the border. There are many Nepali - Indian marriages. But when a Nepali woman marries a foreigner, her children don't become citizens unless her husband also applies for citizenship. There are no such restrictions on men who marry foreigners.

This area is also very Hindi. Nepal used to have a national religion - Hinduism. Nepal became a secular state in 2007, after the civil war. Some people hoped to go back to a national religion, but this constitution further emphasizes religious freedom and the secular nature of government.

And finally, this lowland area supports more than half of the population, but they've always felt unrepresented and unappreciated. In this constitution only 45% of the members of the government are chosen using "proportional representation", which is less than the 58%  it had been previously. This lack of representation really hurts "minority" groups like the Madhesi.

So while many people are happy to have ANY new constitution, the Madhesi and other groups along the lowland Indian border are at the end of their rope. Since the signing in September, the Indian border has been blockaded, keeping shipments of fuel, medicine and other supplies from reaching Nepal. At first, an end to the conflict seemed imminent, but it has dragged on for months now.

The impact of the fuel shortage on people in Nepal has gone up and down. For awhile, fuel for cars or stoves was very hard to get. Streets emptied out, and people started cutting down the few remaining trees in the Kathmandu valley. Now, things appear to be almost normal, thanks to black-market supplies.

So stay tuned for our own update on how it seems in Nepal - post earthquake, and with the current fuel crisis. It shouldn't be boring!