KATHMANDU, Nov. 11 (Nepal Foreign Affairs)–United Nations General Secretary Ban-ki Moon has asked the Indian government to lift the deliberate economic blockade against Nepal without further delay, on Wednesday.
Expressing concern over the blockade at the India-Nepal border, the UNSG said “The Secretary-General underlines Nepal’s right of free transit, as a landlocked nation as well as for humanitarian reasons, and calls on all sides to lift the obstructions without further delay.” However, the UNSG has not explicitly mentioned the name of India.
The UN Secretary-General has reiterated his concern over the obstruction of essential supplies on the Nepal-India border, the UNSG spokesman said at a press conference in New York.
“Acute shortages in fuel supplies continue to impede planned deliveries to earthquake-affected villages in Nepal. Humanitarian organizations urgently require fuel to maintain operations and deliver food, warm clothing and shelter materials to high altitude areas that will soon be cut off by harsh winter weather,” the spokesman quoted UNSG Ban.
This is the first time, the UN Secretary General spoke about India’s blockade against Nepal.