By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, June 13: There are worrisome cases of human rights violations in the country during the two-and-a-half -month lockdown, according to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Making public the preliminary monitoring report prepared by the high-level human rights monitoring committee led by NHRC member Govinda Sharma Poudyal, the NHRC said on Friday that the cases of human rights violations were on the rise amid the coronavirus lockdown.
The rise on domestic violence and the closure of health institutions has hit the most vulnerable groups, the report said.
“The ongoing lockdown is making it difficult and dangerous for women to reach hospital to give birth. Many pregnant women have lost their lives in a lack of health facilities,” the report read.
In some cases, the people are dying because of the inappropriate application of measures that have been supposedly put in place to save them, NHRC stated in its report.
While acknowledging the need for a rapid response, he said widespread lockdown have made the least protected people of society, such as disabled, elderly, senior citizens among other, more vulnerable.
The report showed the restrictions had made it difficult to get food for many families and some people have died of starvation.
The recent report of violence against women since the enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions in Nepal indicates that the level of violence has risen further, the NHRC said.
According to the report, from Chaitra 11 to Baisakh 27, 310 people committed suicide in Nepal.
Similarly, at the same period, 210 cases of domestic violence and 155 rape cases were reported, the report said.
The report has also drawn the attention of the government over the overcrowded coronavirus quarantine centres, with poor food and sanitation facility and lack of physical distancing.
The commission observed that several news reports about miseries of people have come to its notice during the lockdown, said Poudyal, adding that the federal, state and local government should coordinate to deal with the situation, with an approach to human rights of the public.
The constitutional human rights watchdog has also made 22 recommendations based on its monitoring.
The commission has asked the government to improve its weakness in implementing lockdown and asked the security forces and general public to take high preventive measures to help the government prevent the virus outbreak.
NHRC has recommended the government to carry out more PCR tests, make medical equipment accessible and ensure availability of PPE in hospitals.
The commission has also recommended the government to ensure fundamental needs of vulnerable groups like the disabled, senior citizens and pregnant of restricted and sealed areas and provide special care for pregnant and new born.
NHRC chair Anup Raj Sharma asked civil society and rights based organisations to work collaboratively to exert pressure on the government to adopt wider human rights-focused risk prevention strategy.