"The commission urged the government to take legal action against all such institutions, which showed negligence while distributing food items putting at risk the lives of quake victims," stated a press statement issued by the commission on Wednesday.
The NHRC investigation has concluded that rice distributed by World Food Program (WFP) to the quake victims in Kavrepalanchowk district was substandard.The human rights watchdog, which is currently monitoring rescue and relief programs after the devastating earthquake, has urged the government to take action against WFP, the humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.
The commission has also reminded that it had urged the government to take necessary action against WFP some six years ago when the food distributed by the organization in Jajarkot was found substandard.
The NHRC team led by Mohana Ansari and Gobinda Sharma Paudyal had collected samples of the rice on May 22 following news reports that claimed the rice distributed by WFP was unfit for consumption.
"The report of Food Technology and Quality Control Department after the laboratory test has mentioned that the rice does not have the basic qualities sanctioned by the government of Nepal," the NHRC said in the press statement on Wednesday.
The NHRC had urged victims not to consume rice distributed by the WFP after visiting Mahadevsthan and Chandenimandan VDC last week.
On May 23, the WFP had recalled around 3.625 tons of rice it distributed in the earthquake-affected areas.
"How could they distribute substandard food items? How could they be negligent in the time of crisis and disaster" questioned Ansari, also the spokesperson for the NHRC.
"The WFP has stated that it has already retained the low quality rice from the area but they should not be excused time and again for such negligence," she added.
The Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS), after receiving the rice provided by WFP, had distributed 10 kg rice to each household in the villages.
"The NHRC team found at the Samajsewa Bhawan of Mahadevsthan that Swastik and Suraj brands of rice manufactured by Thakur Agro Industries were stored in yellow sacs and white plastic sacs," stated in the report published by the NHRC. "The rice was broken and was black. The locals also had complained to the NHRC team that the rice had sour and bitter taste and that children suffered from diarrhea after consuming the rice," said the NHRC.
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