In the end, it is always ordinary Nepalis who suffer when food is used as a weapon.

When the Maoists looted food destined for the mid and far-western districts two months ago, the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) suspended its aid which was a lifeline in this traditionally food deficit area of Nepal. The conflict has made the situation much more precarious and the people of Bajura and other districts are on the move in search of food and work.

Many families from remote areas of Bajura have descended to the district headquarter in Martadi. One of them is Dal Bahadur Biswakarma, who says, "After the food-for-work program pulled out, we had no more hope. We had to come here." He says many of the younger men from his village and adjoining areas have gone to India. The ones who end up in Martadi are the poorest of the poor: they don't even have money for the bus fare to the south.

The WFP aid was the last hope for about 10,000 people in this district who, for the past three years,worked in road and bridge construction in return for food grains. But when the Maoists looted 6,500kg of rice being taken on mountain goats from Sanfebagar to Bajura on 22 December, WFP suspended its program.

Besides Bajura, the UN has suspended food aid in Dailekh because of the security situation. Kailali and Kanchanpur of the western tarai have also been hit. However, the WFP's sub-regional chief here, Padam Bahadur Singh, said food for aid is due to restart in Rukum and Rolpa later this year and 400,000kg of grain has been earmarked. The other food aid donor, the German group GTZ, works in 30 districts and also pulled out of Dailekh in December. "But we have received assurances from the Maoists, there is more security now, and we will restart the aid soon," said Dietrich Stotz from GTZ.

However, locals are already running low on food. This is usually the time of year adult men from every family from these parts migrated in search of jobs, but this year entire families are moving out.

At last week's Bajura District Development Committee meeting, the contractor transporting the grain to Bajura was blamed for being hand-in-glove with the Maoists. Committee members hope supplies could restart if the WFP can be convinced it was a security breach.

Local Development Officer Surya Nath Koirala told us many Bajura families are on the verge of starvation. "We are looking at unimaginable suffering if the food-for-work program does not resume."