UNSG Ban Ki-moon calls to lift obstructions at Nepal-India border

Kathmandu / November 11: Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon has expressed concern over the obstruction of essential supplies to Nepal and called on all sides to lift the obstructions of essential supplies on the Nepal-India border without further delay.

Issuing a press briefing on Wednesday Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, said, “The Secretary-General underlines Nepal’s right of free transit, as a landlocked nation as well as for humanitarian reasons, and calls on all sides to lift the obstructions without further delay.”

He said that acute shortages of fuel continue to impede planned deliveries to earthquake-affected villages in Nepal.

Dujarric also said that humanitarian organisations urgently require fuel to maintain operations and deliver food and other essentials “to high altitude areas that will soon be cut off by harsh winter conditions.”

“We had been asked previously about the situation in Nepal. I can say that the Secretary-General indeed reiterates his concern over the obstruction of essential supplies on the Nepal-India border,” he said.

India has been imposing economic blockade to Nepal for over two months expressing dissatisfaction over the new constitution issued by Nepal’s constituent assembly. India has been imposing the blockade saying ongoing protest in tarai of Nepal.