EPIDEMIC HAVOC
About 170 people have been killed due to starvation and epidemics in a remote region of Nepal bordering China. According to reports, people are dying every day in the district of Humla. Most of the deaths are due to infections of the upper respiratory tract, which can become fatal on account of starvation and a resultant drop in immunity. A drought following heavy unseasoned rains last winter has led to the starvation deaths and epidemics. Villagers are forced to eat wild vegetables, which are damaging their health, suggest the reports.