"Due to the chilling conditions in our makeshift shelter my son has contracted pneumonia," Ajaya Tamang, the child's father, said. Tamang, who is a quake victim, complained that the winter chill had affected his entire family in their makeshift shelter.
"Living in a shack in winter is extremely difficult," complained Tamang, adding that once can hardly sleep in the night due to the frigid temperature. Drops of moisture that keep seeping through gaps in the corrugated metal sheets drench one's whole body by morning, he further said.
Tamang and his wife had rushed their ailing son to hospital after they notice his shortness of breath and high fever. Tamang said lots of quake-victim children and elderly are living in makeshift shelters and they have been badly hit by the severity of the weather.
Similarly, Sanjaya Kumar Rai of Chauthe in Nuwakot rushed his nine month-old daughter to Kathmandu after she developed cold-related ailments. "We did not want to take any more risks and so rushed her to the capital," said Rai, who also is a quake victim. Complaininbg about the pathetic life in makeshift shelters in his village, he said covering oneself with quilts and clothing spared by the devastating earthquake is hardly enough to keep warm.
Tamang and Rai are among hundreds of thousands of quake victims coming down with cold-related ailments. They are lucky enough to be able to reach the capital as they live in adjoining districts. But hundreds of thousands in the remoter districts have to suffer quitely.
Annapurnaa Malla, nursing in-charge at Kanti Children's Hospital, said that most cases at the hospital are cold-related. She informed that the number of children suffering from cold-related ailments has risen significantly following a sharp drop in temperature. “Infants and newborn have been severely affected. Most small children are suffering from pneumonia, common cold, coughs and tonsillitis," informed Malla.
Dr Ganesh Rai of the hospital said cases of winter diarrhea, common cold, acute bronchiolitis, cough and pneumonia have risen significantly at the hospital. Dr Rai suggests to all parents to keep their children warm but this is easier said than done for someone living in a makeshift shelter.
"We are not even allowed to rebuild our homes on our own," complained Tamang. He also added that the authorities told quake victims they have to follow government standards to be eligible for relief funds.
Even eight months after the devastating earthquake, the government has not provided the relief funds to rebuild homes and the design requirements for rebuilding has not yet been made available to all. Due to procrastination on the part of the agencies concerned, quake victims are in a dilemma whether to start reconstruction or not.
Moreover, the ongoing blockade imposed by India has created shortages of essential items such as fuel, food and medicines, jeopardizing the lives of millions of infants.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned that the lack of essential medicines and the onset of winter will badly impact over three million children under the age of five.
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