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Six persons died when a jeep met with an accident in Nawalpur on Sunday.

The four-wheeler (Lu 1 Ja 3270) was heading towards Manjhdanda of Baudikali Rural Municipality, Nawalpur when the tragedy occurred at Goreghumti in Devchuli Municipality.

Police said that six persons died on the spot and one was injured in the incident.

Further details of the incident are awaited.

The November 3 earthquake-stricken Rukum West received a shipment of 2,632 tents on Saturday. Assistant Chief District Officer of Rukum West, Prabesh Badhuwal, confirmed this.

He said the government has issued directives stressing on the prioritization of temporary shelter management for the survivors.

The District Disaster Management Committee has been asked to promptly gear up for the reconstruction of the damaged houses. As of now, the immediate need for food in the affected areas has been addressed.

The Committee is coordinating the dispatchment of emergency assistance based on the specific needs of the affected areas, it is said.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has issued an emergency appeal for augmenting the relief and response initiatives for the victims of the recent earthquake in Jajarkot.

The IFRC has issued an appeal for emergency assistance of 5 million Swiss Francs for the Jajarkot disaster survivors. IFRC had issued an emergency appeal for assistance to the 2015 April Gorkha earthquake and provided humanitarian support.

The international humanitarian organization has been carrying out works like providing shelter and non-food materials – cash distribution, emergency shelter, tarpaulin, mattresses, blankets, medical treatment, psycho-social counseling, sanitary materials and livelihood and essentials - in an integrated way.

The IFRC Office in Kathmandu has stated that it will provide financial assistance to the hard-hit families for construction of temporary shelters, buying essentials and building toilets.

On November 3, an earthquake measuring 6.4 in magnitude hit Jajarkot and Rukum West with its epicenter at Ramidanda of Jajarkot. More than 150 people lost their lives and around 200 people were injured in the quake. At least 30,000 houses, both public and private, were destroyed while more than 38,000 families have been affected.

"Following the quake, the IFRC and its partners and the related parties including the Nepal Red Cross have been providing immediate humanitarian services. The search, rescue and relief distribution is promptly taking place through skilled volunteers of the Red Cross. Immediate assistance such as first aid, psychosocial support, blood transfusion and ambulance service and non-food items are being provided," according to the statement.

IFRC provided Rs 100 million in immediate assistance to those affected by the Jajarkot quake.

The headquarters of IFRC in Geneva, Switzerland provided the amount to the Nepal Red Cross through the Disaster Response Emergency Fund.

Despite a decrease in leprosy cases compared to previous years, Banke and Bardiya districts in the Lumbini Province continue to report new cases of this chronic infectious disease, posing challenges to its elimination.

During the fiscal year 2079-80 BS (2022-23), Shinning Hospital in Janaki Rural Municipality, Banke, identified 126 cases of leprosy. Hospital Chief Mangal Bahadur Tharu said that, of the cases detected last year, 55 were from Banke, 37 from Bardiya, and the remaining from other districts in Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudur Paschim provinces.

Operated by the NGO INF Nepal, the hospital had identified 157 leprosy cases in the fiscal year 2078-79 BS (2021-22). According to Tharu, regular camps are being conducted in various locations to find out hidden cases of the disease.

Ram Bahadur Chand, the health division chief of Nepalgunj sub-metropolis, acknowledged challenges in leprosy prevention and underlined the need for more actions including leprosy camps to identify hidden cases.

Jeevan Rajaure, the leprosy focal person at the District Health Office in Bardiya, said the social perception towards leprosy patients has not yet completely changed and the people with the issue face stigma in the society. "It has hindered their access to medical care."

Gyanendra Kumar Chaudhary, Chief of the District Coordination Committee in Banke, commended INF's role in promoting public awareness against leprosy, identifying undiagnosed cases, and contributing to prevention efforts in the area. He pledged to facilitate among the three-tier government to allocate the budget to the district for leprosy elimination initiatives in the district.