KATHMANDU: Residents of the squatters’ holding center in Radhaswami, Kirtipur, have staged a protest after food distribution was halted for nearly two days, leaving hundreds of displaced people without regular meals.
According to residents, food service stopped on Sunday evening and had not resumed by Tuesday morning. The affected families say they have been forced to survive on limited supplies while waiting for authorities to address the situation.
Speaking to Khabarhub by phone from the holding center, one resident said no meals had been provided since Sunday evening.
“Food service stopped at around 6 pm the other day, and it still had not resumed by this morning,” she said.
The residents said they had not sought support from local communities, arguing that doing so would reduce pressure on the government to fulfill its responsibilities.
Children forced to miss school
On Monday, children at the center were given beaten rice and yogurt, while adults received beaten rice and snack mix. However, residents said this was insufficient and that many people went the entire day without proper meals.
The disruption also affected school-going children, who were unable to attend classes due to the lack of food. Sick residents reportedly struggled to take medication on an empty stomach.
Following the food shortage, residents launched a protest on Monday. They say the situation remained unchanged on Tuesday morning.
Around 277 people from 65 families have been living in temporary tents at the holding center for nearly two months after the government demolished squatter settlements along riverbanks in the Kathmandu Valley, promising permanent housing arrangements.
Until recently, they had been receiving regular meals either through packaged food supplied by Radhaswami Satsang or meals arranged by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City.
Kathmandu Metropolitan City cites management transition
Kathmandu Metropolitan City has described the interruption as a temporary delay caused by a change in the food management system.
Metropolitan spokesperson Nabin Manandhar said the city had been providing breakfast, lunch and dinner on a regular basis until Monday and claimed that the disruption was limited to a brief management gap.
He said the metropolis would continue to look after the displaced families for as long as they remain at the holding center and until permanent housing arrangements are made.
According to the city, responsibility for their long-term rehabilitation lies with the federal government.
Radhaswami denies involvement
While the metropolis has indicated that Radhaswami Satsang was responsible for food distribution, officials at the ashram have offered a different account.
An employee at the ashram said Radhaswami had provided food only during the initial days after the displaced families arrived.
“After the metropolitan city took over responsibility for managing the center, we stopped providing food. We have no information about the current situation,” the employee said.
The conflicting claims have left residents uncertain about when regular food distribution will resume, as concerns grow over the welfare of children, elderly people and those requiring medical care at the holding center.
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