Humla is situated in the north western part of Nepal and is the second largest district in Nepal, covering 5,655km. Geographically, the district can be divided into three eco-zones, the upper mountainous area, upper hilly area and the lower hilly area. Humla is the gateway to Kailash Mansarovar, where Shiva is thought to reside – one of the most significant religious destinations for Hindu, Buddhist and Jain pilgrimages. Humla is also a favourite destination of foreigners for trekking and rafting on the Karnali River. Politically, Humla is divided into 27 Village Development Committees (VDCs), nine Ilakas and one electoral constituency. The district headquarters (DHQ), Simikot, is at an altitude of 2,945m. Humla’s population totalled 108,734 in 2011, males slightly outnumbering females. During the Maoist insurgency and after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the district was largely dominated by the United Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M). But the political environment has completely changed after the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly (CA) in May 2012. Humla has only one electoral constituency. In total 12 candidates, including two independents, contested for the 2008 Constituent Assembly election in Humla. In mid-May 2013, the total number of those registered to vote came to 20,328. The District Police Office (DPO) in Simikot has 284 police personnel deployed in three Border Security Posts at the border with China, one Airport Security Post, nine Ilaka Police Stations and in the DHQ. Access to legislative and judicial services in Humla is limited to the DHQ. Discriminatory practices were reduced in Humla after the decade-long insurgency, especially untouchability and other practices affecting Dalits and women. Nonetheless, discriminatory perceptions have not changed among more senior citizens, whereas the younger generation is more aware of the issue. Gender based violence is very common and abuse of widely available Chinese alcohol is a significant triggering factor for it. While a majority (62%) of males aged five and above were literate in Humla, only a third of females could read and write in 2011. Each of the district’s Ilakas has a Resource Centre responsible for supporting and monitoring its share of the district’s 137 schools. In 2003/4, the poverty incidence at Illaka level in Humla varied from under a quarter to half of the households living below the national poverty line, with higher incidence closer to DHQ in the southern and eastern parts of the district. The major sources of employment in Humla are agriculture, transportation (as porter or handling mules), cross-border trade, INGO/NGOs, harvesting forest products, and seasonal migration to India. The most commonly occurring diseases in Humla are fever, diarrhoea, respiratory infection, malnutrition, and injury due to falls. Altitude sickness often affects visitors. The district is among those with highest prevalence of stunting (60%), severe underweight (15%) and anaemia (53%) among children under five years of age. Humla was declared an organic district by the DDC in 2011/12 and therefore the use of chemical fertilisers was restricted. Humla is the second largest district in Nepal in terms of area (565,500ha), but very little of this land is arable and only 9,708ha are cultivated. In 18 of Humla’s 27 VDCs the recurrence of acute food security crises from 2008 through 2011 was high, and in the remaining nine VDCs the recurrence was moderate. Humla has a short summer and longer winter with a wide temperature range from 25°C to -28°C. The climate is harsh, with snow for up to three or four months a year. Due to the snow and severe cold, the region (especially upper Humla) remains isolated and its life line is cut off for almost half of the year. During the harsh season, the people of upper Humla migrate to lower areas of the district.
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Publisher:
UNRCHCO
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(2013
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Type / Script:
Bulletin or Poster
in English
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Keywords:
GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT, GEOGRAPHY, DEMOGRAPHY, CLIMATOLOGY, HEALTH INFORMATION, HEALTH STATISTICS, SOCIAL INFORMATION, GOVERNMENT INFORMATION, EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION, AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION, RULE OF LAW, PROTECTION, EQUITY, SOCIAL INCLUSION, EDUCATION, SOCIAL PROTECTION, EMPLOYMENT, MIGRATION, HEALTH, SANITATION, NUTRITION, FOOD SECURITY, AGRICULTURE, ENVIRONMENT, HUMANITARIAN SITUATION, GEOGRAPHY
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Thematic Group:
UNRCHCO (UNRCO)
:
UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator Office (UN Resident Coordinator Office)
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Thesaurus:
15.05.00
- Documentation, Library And Information Sciences And Reference Works
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Reference Link:
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