People in five VDC's of remote Palata region of far-western Kalikot district are facing acute food shortage. As the farmers in the region largely depend on rainwater for crop production and sowing, the persistent drought since last year has made them unable to grow their crops resulting in a severe food shortage in the district, Kantipur Daily reports. Around 35,000 people at Kin, Thirpu, Nanikot, Badalkot, Ramnakot and Dhaulagoha have been affected by the food shortage, making many of them go out to search for food in neighboring villages and district headquarters Manma.

The inflation rate continues to increase in local markets as the world plunges into a food crisis driven by low production due to drought. According to a new report by Nepal Rastra Bank, inflation rate reached 7.2 percent in the first eight months of the current fiscal year compared to 6.2 percent the same period last year.

With shortage of the food supply in Rolpa, families displaced during the conflict have been facing starvation, reports say. 32 tons of rice and five tons of pulses supplied by World Food Programme, Save the Children and USAID are yet to reach the district. The 243 families were given ration card last month to regularise the food distribution. As per the schedule of the local authority, the distribution of ration was to begin from the fourth week of April, but the Nepal Red Cross Society local committee is still unaware when the foodstuffs would arrive.

Top World Bank (WB) officials have said that the bank would soon provide Nepal new aid worth US$127 million to ensure the success of the ongoing peace process. Talking to media persons at the end of a four-day visit to Nepal on Tuesday, Michel Mordasini said that the bank is ready to extend all possible assistance and cooperation to the country but it will depend on the "level of implementation" and continuation of peace process.

Three one-horned rhinoceros have been found dead in Bardiya National Park in the past two weeks, raising serious concern over the safety of the endangered animal in the protected area. A male rhinoceros was found dead in a forested part of the park on Monday by park's security guards. The body of the rare animal was badly mutilated with its horns and tails missing.

Accusing the people of Angna-5 village in northeastern district of Panchthar of not voting for their party, cadres of Maoists have cut the pipe of drinking water forcing the locals to trek four hours to fetch water. According to Chandra Dahal, secretary of the local user committee of the village, the Maoist cadres have cut the pipe in four places and have erected their party flags there. Most of the villagers are said to be supporters of Nepali Congress.

Around 75 percent of total population of Nepal run risk of catching malaria. According to Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, people living in Terai districts, particularly around border region, are in higher risk of malaria. The Division states that while 65 out of total 75 districts of Nepal are in risk of catching malaria; 12 of them run particularly higher risk. They include Jhapa, Ilam, Morang, Mahottari, Dhankuta, Sindhuli, Kavre, Nawalparasi, Bardiya, Dadeldhura, Kanchanpur and Kailali districts.

Some hilly districts where agriculture production is low have begun to face food crisis quite earlier than they used to previously. Reports from Taplejung say villagers in northern part of the district have been facing food shortage due to snowfall since a month. The Chinese government has put restriction on travel of Nepalis to Tibet, to boy foodstuff, after the Lhasa riot even after the snow melted now. The villagers find Tibet nearer for food supply than traveling to district headquarters.

A latest study conducted by the National Center for AIDS and STD Control has shown that the estimated number of HIV/AIDS patients has been stable in the past two years. The study conducted in 2007 by using latest available tools and methodologies has estimated their number at 69,790 - similar to the 70,352 numbers estimated by a study conducted in 2005. Of the total estimated 69,790; 64,585 consist of adults between the age 15 and 49 years (with 16,387 of them women). Likewise, 1857 were children below 14 years of age an 3348 were adults above 50 years of age.