Simikot, Northwest Nepal

Before we departed on our trek, I shared with you, that after I returned, I would begin a series on the different areas of Nepal that we would like to begin serving in with the airplane. Here is the first of that series. I hope that you enjoy this and that it helps you envision the need that is so great here in Nepal. Ok, let's go "trekking" to:

Simikot, Nepal

Simikot, located in the far northwestern region of Nepal, is the district headquarters for the Humla district of Nepal. Simikot is cut off from the rest of Nepal due to the rugged terrain that separates it from the rest of the country.

Within the Humla district there is a population of around 65,000 people, but in the town of Simikot, there is roughly 1500 people.

The people of Simikot are of Tibetan decent and follow the traditions and religious practices of Tibet. Most would consider themselves Buddhist.

Daily existence in Simikot presents many challenges for the villagers. This is an agricultural region, but the land often does not provide enough food to support the population. Food shortages are a common theme in Simikot.

Medical care in Simikot is limited, any major medical issue requires a flight out to the nearest hospital in Surkhet or Nepalgunj, in southern Nepal. Often villagers cannot afford the travel or a flight is not available.

MAF intends to provide a reliable air service that meets the needs of the people in this region of Nepal. We will prioritize humanitarian/development flights of other like-minded NGOs. Here is a link to YouTube that will give you a good picture of life in and around Simikot. It has been posted by a "hospital" that is working out of Simikot. I just want to make a disclaimer here that we do not have any special links to this hospital as of yet and are therefore not promoting it. This is just a video that will give you a good look at this area.

Simikot YouTube link

For those of you who have Google Earth, you can do a search for Simikot, Nepal and it will take you straight there.