As the earthquake victims in Gorkha district are having difficulty coping with the winter cold, the District Disaster Management Committee officials say their plan to distribute winter clothing and blankets to the victims has been thwarted by rats.

Clothes and blankets meant for the earthquake victims that were stored in a rented house were damaged by rats, said one DDMC official. He added that some of the articles that were in good order have gone missing.

Meanwhile, the earthquake-displaced families, living in poorly-built shanties, are getting catching cold-induced illness.

Gaj Bahadur Gurung of Gumda said many children and elderly persons are at risk.

“They are susceptible to cold and could become sick. We warm ourselves by lighting bonfires at night, but that alone is not enough,” he said. “The nights are getting colder these days. We don’t know how we will survive this winter.”

The number of patients suffering from cold-related diseases in the district has increased in the recent days. Health workers said many earthquake-displaced people who are living in temporary huts are suffering from common cold, pneumonia, headache, and diarrhoea.

“We don’t have warm clothes or proper beddings,” said Tanka Bahadur Tamang of Saurpani village. “Many of us are sleeping on hay mattress.”  

Besides winter relief, many earthquake-displaced families in Gorkha also have not received food supplies in a long time. Rice and pulses that were stocked at a Nepal Food Corporation warehouse at the district headquarters have started to rot. Several rice sacks stored in the warehouse have been infested by weevils and other pests.

Gorkha is among the worst-affected districts by the April 25 earthquake. The disaster rendered thousands of families in the district homeless. They are now living in temporary shelters.

Video: Quake victims' woes during winter:

Video by Laxmi Prasad Ngakhushi