Where we work

Humla, the 'Hidden Himalayas'

Humla is the highest, most Northerly and arguably the most impoverished of Nepal's 75 districts.  This culturally unique and fragile Himalayan environment lies 440km NW of Kathmandu.  Bordering Tibet, it can only be accessed by foot or light aircraft.  For this reason, the area is often referred to as the 'Hidden Himalayas'.

Here, isolation and poverty in a harsh mountainous land deprive people of all but the basics of life. Its population of Tibetan speaking Buddhists and Nepali speaking Hindus lives on forested alpine slopes or villages overlooking steeply terraced strips of cultivated land. 

Existence is day to day survival.  Agriculture is the main acitivity and source of income, even though just 2% of the land can be used for cultivation, due to the harsh terrain. Much of the district is high Himalaya, the main passes can be closed for up to four months of the year by winter snows.  Flash flooding is a danger in the spring and monsoons bring weeks of rain through the summer.

Humla is an area of incredible beauty.  Its sheer remoteness and inaccessibility have inspired legends. It is believed by some to be the home of the mythical Shangri-La 

But that same remoteness and inaccessibility means that very few government services reach this far.  A chronic lack of education and healthcare, coupled with a recent history of political conflict, has left many of the people in Humla in the dark ages - illiterate, malnourished with a life expectancy twenty years less than our own.  In some areas as many as 1 in 3 children will not survive until their fifth birthday.  It is recognised as an area of exteme poverty, the UN ranks it one of the poorest in the world, equalled only by certain pockets of sub-saharan Africa.

Special Report from Kermi 

Read about the health clinic and micro hydro project in the community of Kermi, Northern Humla

Humla Statistics

Total Area: 5655 Sq. Km. 

Altitude Range: 1500-7300m. 

Population: 40,595 

Extreme poverty

• Nepal HDI Rank: 138/177 Countries
• Humla HDI Rank: 68/75 Districts 
• Humla HPI Rank: 75/75 Districts 
• High illiteracy 
  • Less than 10% of women are literate
• Poor health & education services 
• Difficult terrain & accessibility 
• Recent history of conflict