INTERVIEW- U.N. fears for staff as Nepal strikes continue

By Nita Bhalla

NEW DELHI (Reuters AlertNet) - More frequent and violent strike action in Nepal is threatening the security of United Nations staff and undermining their humanitarian operations, the head of the U.N. operation said on Friday.

In recent years, the impoverished Himalayan nation has seen a sharp rise in the number of strikes where everything including transport, government offices, private businesses, schools, hospitals and markets are completely shut down.

Last year, there were 254 days of strikes or "bandhs" in the country, according to Nepalbandh.com, a Nepali website that monitors strikes around the country. In the last three months, there have been more than 200 strikes, according to the site.

Robert Piper, resident and humanitarian coordinator for the U.N. team in Nepal, said strike action was seriously impacting the organisation's work while a rise in intimidation and violence during the strikes were of great concern.

"Our people are moving around the country - doing activities such as food distributions or human rights monitoring - and they are constantly being stopped by road blockages, burning tyres and mobs of people who are increasingly refusing to let them pass," he told AlertNet in an interview.

"As a result, the U.N.'s work is dramatically curtailed on bandh days and as the bandhs become more violent, we are getting more concerned about staff security."

ATTACKS