Over 100,000 people live in the Jumla district. The health care which is available is of poor quality and unaffordable for many people. Also, there is an chronic lack of food.

At the start of April, MSF opened a second mission in Nepal. Both missions started this year. In the latest project, MSF has chosen to work in the areas surrounding the city of Jumla, in the northwest region of the country, as the needs are the most pressing there and various activities are underway to ensure basic health care in the area. Over 100,000 people live in the Jumla district.

The health care which is available is of poor quality and unaffordable for many people. Also, there is an chronic lack of food. The team will be assisting the hospital in Jumla and providing care for mothers and infants by, amongst other activities, supporting local midwives.

MSF has set up an office in the capital Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal and some 200 kms from Jumla. In Nepalgunj, 75 kms south of Jumla, the team will run a psycho-social care programme in co-operation with a local organisation.

Maoist rebels are fighting the government and people find themselves living in constant fear of direct attack or intimidation by either security or Maoist forces, with little or no psycho-social support.

In addition, many people in Jumla are traumatized as result of the battle in Jumla town in November 2002 when more than 10,000 Maoist rebels attacked the city and burned all government buildings and an estimated 400 people were killed.

The initial team shall have eight members including a doctor, nurse, midwife and mental health specialist.