Do not keep landless squatters in fear of forced eviction

Kathmandu, Nov 19: A team formed to monitor the condition of forced eviction of landless people and informal settlers have appealed with the Commission formed to resolve landless squatters not to keep them in fear of further evictions.     

Following on-site monitoring jointly conducted by the Amnesty International Nepal, JuRi-Nepal, the Community Self-Reliance Service Centre and Nepal Mahila Ekta Samaj, the team drew the attention of the Commission towards the facts that landless squatters and unorganized settlers were adversely affected by the forced eviction and many such settlers were living in fear of eviction.     

Against this, the monitoring team urged all concerned agencies and authorities in all local levels not to carry out eviction drive until further arrangements.     

The monitoring team mentioned that they received the grievances from informal settlers and landless squatters that they were living with mental anguish due to the verbal and written notices given by the some agencies in the local level and federal level while the Land Commission related works have been stalled at the moment.     

The team called for putting an end with the contradiction that leaves the vulnerable citizens fearing eviction, despite their need for special protection from the State, must be ended immediately.     

During the monitoring in Kathmandu, Kailali, Kanchanpur, Siraha, Sunsari, Jhapa, Morang, Kapilvastu, Surkhet and Dang districts among other, the team found that the landless squatters and informal settlers were facing severe humanitarian crisis such as homelessness, food insecurity, health issues in lack of alternative housing option.     

In the letter of concern issued by the monitoring team, they have shed light on the deplorable condition of such settlers who, the team found, were putting up with the prejudice-laden treatment and were living without basic facilities such as drinking water and electricity.     

The team has made a public appeal to all concerned ones to cooperate the Commission formed to address the landless squatters' related problems. Emphasizing collective efforts, they also called for support in the ongoing campaign to find solutions for the landless squatters and informal settlers.(RSS)