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The United Nations has indicated that it will be scaling back the number of its international team in Gaza following fresh Israeli military assaults on Palestinian territory that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians, including UN staff, Alzajeera reported.

UN spokesperson Stephan Dujarric, who acknowledged that the pullout occurs at a time when humanitarian needs have increased and "concern over the protection of civilians intensifies," perhaps 30 of the organization's 100 or so international employees would depart Gaza this week during a news briefing on Monday with Alzajeera.

The UN spokesman also confirmed that an Israeli tank was responsible for the attack on a UN compound in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, on March 19, that killed a Barian UN staff member and left six other foreign staff with severe injuries.

Senior citizens from Gamtha Village of Khatyad Rural Municipality-7 in Mugu have faced difficulty to receive social security allowance due to not having the national identity card.

Khimta Ghodashaini (69), Tuli Sanjyal (70), Purna Chandra Upadhyay (77), and Saura Devi Ghodashaini (64) complained that they were facing hardship to secure state entitlement.

The local levels are returning the elderly service seekers empty handed, reasoning that it was essential to produce the national ID card to claim allowance. On the other hand, it takes two to three days' trekking to reach the district headquarters, Gamgadhi, to prepare the national ID card. It has resulted in sheer harassment and deprivation to the senior citizens.

The senior citizens blamed that the local level did not pay heed to these problems. It could take initiative to resolve the problem, they argued.

Khamma Budha (71) from Khamale Village of Khadtyad wailed that he could not draw the money from the bank for a year due to not having the national ID card. He shared that he was struggling to manage daily spending. The money he receives as elderly allowance is deposited in his bank account.

There are more than 35 such senior citizens and a single woman at ward no 5 alone not getting access to the allowance.

Chauli Budha (84) from Khatyad shared the plight that she could not visit the district headquarters because of her poor health. So, she had no national ID card, which is now made mandatory to receive state entitlement.

Chairman of ward-5 at Khatyad, Chitra Bahadur Budha, however, blamed the bank for not providing the allowance to the senior citizens, reasoning the need for a national ID card.

There are over 145 senior citizens and a single woman registering their names for social security allowance in the ward. Most of them are not getting the allowance for lack of essential documents.

"The District Administration Office needs to conduct a camp to facilitate the distribution of national ID cards to the locals so that needy ones would get quick access to state entitlements," Chairman Budha demanded.

Meanwhile, Chief District Officer, Kamal Prasad Pande, informed that they were planning to conduct a public service camp to ensure services at people's doorsteps.

Nepal has achieved remarkable success in poverty reduction, nearly eradicating extreme poverty, largely driven by remittances. To strengthen future growth, Nepal should prioritize policy actions that unlock domestic opportunities, according to the World Bank’s Nepal Country Economic Memorandum: Unlocking Nepal’s Growth Potential, released on 24 March 2024. 

Despite progress, Nepal’s economic growth lags behind regional peers. Nepal’s economy grew at an average annual real rate of just 4.2 percent between 1996 and 2023, ranking sixth out of eight South Asian nations, the report states. Structural challenges such as low productivity, declining exports, and a stagnant industrial sector have held back the economy and led to slow job creation in non-agriculture sectors. Young workers are migrating abroad in search of better job opportunities as domestic prospects remain limited.

“Nepal’s success in poverty reduction is impressive, but its economic potential remains largely untapped,” said David Sislen, World Bank Division Country Director for the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka. “Nepal has significant potential to drive stronger growth and create jobs by implementing key reforms to increase the returns from migration, boost exports, use hydropower efficiently, and boost digitalization.”

“The 16th Plan for Nepal outlines a vision of good governance, social justice and prosperity and prioritizes productivity and competitiveness, decent and productive jobs, social security, and ensuring a smooth transition from LDC status. The government is committed to ensuring an enabling policy environment for Nepal’s sustainable growth,” said Vice Chair of the National Planning Commission, Prof Shiva Raj Adhikari.

Produced every five years, the Nepal Country Economic Memorandum offers a roadmap for faster growth in key sectors. It recommends policy actions in four critical areas to unlock Nepal’s economic potential.

A systematic and institutionalized migration system can enhance the returns from migration, the report states: Integrating migration into national development, job creation, and poverty reduction strategies will provide a platform to work toward such a system. Policies should focus on reducing the cost and increasing the benefits and safety for current low-skilled migrants, while also eyeing longer-term skill and destination diversification.

Expanding and better implementing bilateral labor agreements will be critical. Initiatives promoting entrepreneurship and retraining and reskilling programs would allow returning migrants to reintegrate into the domestic labor market, according to the report. 

Improving market competition in key sectors and addressing infrastructure deficits can boost exports. Better managing inflationary pressures would address the erosion of exporters’ price competitiveness, it states: Encouraging people to use remittances for investments and business growth could help ease inflation. Simplifying the process for businesses to get tax refunds on imported materials and lowering import taxes would make it easier for them to export more products. With Nepal’s transition from Least Developed Countries status and the loss of trade preferences, authorities should seek additional preferential trade agreements. 

Developing a clear financing strategy to develop the hydropower sector will help mobilize much-needed investments, goes the report. This strategy could include developing the domestic bond market and an effective framework for large-scale public-private partnerships. Strengthening the regulatory and legal frameworks, by reducing bureaucratic red tape and streamlining the current licensing process, would improve the structure of the electricity market and attract additional investment, the report adds.

People living in coastal areas have been told to stay out of the ocean and away from beaches after a powerful 6.7 magnitude earthquake occurred off New Zealand's South Island, authorities said.

Residents in Southland and Fiordland should avoid sea areas because strong and irregular currents may pose a risk, according to the National Emergency Management Agency following Tuesday's earthquake, Alzajeera reported.
More than 4,700 individuals felt the quake, according to national seismic monitor Geonet, with New Zealand media reporting objects dropping and buildings swaying.