Two days after the Maoists hit Accham on 16 February, a helicopter flew into Mangalsen with a special mission: evacuate 25 development workers who had survived the night of carnage. In another far-western district, development moved out last week after the rebels locked up the District Development Committee chairman in his office and threatened to attack the headquarters. Said one NGO worker from the far-west: "Everyone is scared about what could happen next."

In Kathmandu, project personnel and donors are worried who, if anyone, is in charge. Most are involved in grassroots development building drinking water projects, mobilising communities for forestry and sanitation, or setting up savings schemes. And now they are caught in the crossfire and development work is grinding to a halt.

Many of them have fled the fighting (some temporarily) and are in Kathmandu. In interviews, they told us that three months ago the Maoists used to shake their hands, saying: "We both want to help the poor, so you needn't worry." Those doing genuine work thought they were safe.

But after Magalsen no one is sure that agreement holds anymore. Rural road building has been badly hit. Immunisation has been affected by overall uncertainty, and every time a rural powerhouse is hit, vaccines are ruined. "It's getting more and more difficult to help people when they need it the most," one donor representative in Kathmandu told us.

Development agencies are now exchanging notes and trying to find new, effective ways of delivering services to people who need them the most, while ensuring safety of staff. Rebels used to ask aid agency workers for "donations", but let them do their work. Now even those lines of communication are cut.

The only way may be to communicate directly with the people. When Maoists looted development supplies in a mid-western district, they were opposed by locals. In another district in the east, a micro-finance NGO threatened by Maoists was asked to return by villagers. "We don't want to pull out completely because we know we have people's support," one worker said. "But it is getting difficult to even retain a minimal presence."

Early this week rebel supporters forced schools to shut down for two days, and the Maoists have called for another five-day strike next month. If the last strike was any indication, most Nepalis will stay home, not
because they support Maoists but because the government can't protect them.

Another exasperated donor rep told us: "At times like these I wonder where Nepal's real leaders are. We can do little unless Nepalis decide to help themselves."