Abstract
This article examines Nepal’s policies regarding internally displaced persons (IDPs), and aid efforts by international aid agencies and donors. Ten years of conflict (1996-2006) between the Nepal government and the Maoists was a main cause of the displacement of many people. Although the international community acknowledged that the armed conflict between Maoist forces and Nepal security forces contributed significantly to the displacement, the crisis did not receive enough international attention until recently. Ongoing violence in some districts of Nepal continues to pose major challenges to many returnees and to the peace process. The contradictions and tensions existing within Nepal’s IDP policies create further strains, especially on individuals and families displaced by Nepal security forces. Researchers, policy makers, and international agencies need to be aware of the geopolitical factors that could endanger the effectiveness of aid distribution to displaced Nepalese.
Highlights
This article examines Nepal’s policies regarding internally displaced persons (IDPs), and aid efforts by international aid agencies and donors
Despite the growing number of IDPs worldwide, the international community rarely intervenes with internal displacement; it is assumed that states are responsible for providing protection and assistance to citizens within its borders (Manchanda, 2004, p. 238)
The government’s definition of IDPs included those who were displaced by Maoist forces, but it excluded people who were forced by governmental forces to move away from their homes (Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, 2006)
Summary
The Maoist conflict, or the People’s War, was an armed conflict that began in 1996 between the Maoist guerillas and the Nepal government, with the goal of overthrowing the Nepal monarchy and establishing a new republican state (Hutt, 2007, p. 17; Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, 2006; Manchada, 2004, p. 240; Refugees International, 2008; Upreti, 2006, p. 35). The government’s definition of IDPs included those who were displaced by Maoist forces, but it excluded people who were forced by governmental forces to move away from their homes (Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, 2006) Those who were forced by state security forces to flee their homes found little incentive to register as IDPs because they often did not qualify for government assistance (OCHA, 2008). In addition to lack of recognition of those who are displaced by the government, critics point out how Nepal has failed to spell out a coherent set of practices and policies to address the protection and assistance needs of IDPs. Nepal’s government has been generally reluctant to acknowledge that there has been a displacement crisis in the country caused by the fighting between the Maoist insurgents and governmental forces.
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