A Tragic Story

A small country located between India and China, Nepal is probably most well-known for Mt. Everest, which is found inside its northern border. According to the World Factbook, Nepal is one of the least developed and poorest countries in the world, over thirty percent of its population live below the poverty line, and it has experienced much internal struggle due to the Maoist insurgency movement which began in 1996. Nepal was the world's only Hindu kingdom and for many years was closed off to other religions. Only in the last 50 years or so has a small amount of religious freedom been allowed. There are about 1,000,000 orphans in Nepal, according to UNICEF. Causes for abandonment are death of parents due to the Maoist militancy movement, sickness, and/or difficult living conditions. An aid worker, referring to a remote village in Nepal, said, "Very tender children are dying here, uncared for, unlooked after - orphaned by the untimely death of their parents. You can see hundreds of real orphans here...those who don't have a father or a mother."

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