Should the Nepalese government provide adequate insurance
for the Mount Everest Sherpas?
By: Ringo Bones
Given that it was the tragic April 18, 2014 avalanche that
shed light that probably all Mont Everest Sherpas are uninsured, the rest of
the world now wonders why the Nepalese government has failed to provide
adequate insurance to the Sherpas that assist foreign mountain climbers climb
the world’s highest mountain. After all, Nepal earns millions of dollars in
annual climbing fees from Everest alone. For the 2014 season, the Nepalese
government had issued climbing permits to 734 people including 400 guides for
32 expeditions. The world has now been speculating whether the millions paid in
climbing permits had been simply pocketed by Nepal’s political elites – rather
than being set aside as an insurance / compensation fund for Sherpas.
Immediately after the tragic April 18, 2014 avalanche, the
Nepalese government offered US$400 to each of the 13 victims’ families as a way
to pay off “funeral costs.” Unsurprisingly, none had been pleased by the
government’s offer.
The average annual income in Nepal is around US$700 – while
a Sherpa working for a typical 3-month season earns US$4,000. Despite earning
more than the average Nepalese, being a Sherpa is a hazardous profession – a
lot can happen to one hauling gear up a mountain for international climbers
waiting at the Everest Base Camp.
Mingna Sherpa said in an interview:”We love the
mountains…but a mountaineer could climb in peace if he knew that his family
will be taken cared of if something bad happens to him.” Nepal’s Deputy Prime
Minister Prakash Man Singh said the government has been working to help the
Sherpas, but unless the Nepalese government establish an effective social
security for the Sherpas, international climbers could be put-off climbing
Mount Everest via the Nepalese side because the government has scant social
responsibility due to its inability to provide a well-underwritten insurance
policies for the Everest Sherpas.
1 comment:
The current Nepalese government should provide better social security benefits and insurance coverage for their Sherpas given that the Sherpas are the backbone of Nepal's tourism industry.
Post a Comment