Important Security Announcement for American Citizens in Nepal

September 13, 2010

Cholera in Kathmandu

Cholera has been detected in three patients admitted to Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital in Teku. Doctors believe the culprit is water, as in normal cases. The Public Health Department has been alerted.

As the monsoon is still active, caution and preventive measures have to be taken seriously.  Symptoms include watery diarrhea and vomiting along with fever typically seen in children. You can minimize the risk of Cholera by following these simple preventive measures:

• Avoid eating foods or drinking beverages purchased from street vendors or other establishments where proper hygienic conditions are not present.
• Avoid eating raw or undercooked food items.
• Avoid eating raw fruits and vegetables unless you have peeled/washed them yourself.
• Drink bottled water or water that you are sure has been boiled or treated with iodine/chlorine. Be aware that some water bottles have been found refilled with tap water. Make sure the seal on the water bottle is intact before you open it and it is a known brand.
• Wash your hands regularly and especially well before eating any food.
• Take seriously any cases of watery diarrhea and vomiting. Seek medical help immediately. Cholera can cause death.

Please alert family and friends, and educate your children on these precautions.

Military and Overseas Voters, Submit your Ballot Request for the General Election!

There are only eight weeks until the November 2nd general election! If you have not already requested your absentee ballot, do so immediately. It's simple and it’s fast.  Go to FVAP.gov and use our online registration and absentee ballot assistant to have your forms completed, printed out, and ready to send back home in less than 10 minutes.

States begin mailing ballots September 18 (45 days before the general election), however, due to mail delays, you may not get your ballot in time to vote, return it and have it counted. So don’t delay and submit your absentee ballot application today.

As of September 1, the Military Postal Service Agency began providing free expedited ballot delivery and ballot tracking information to your local election office for military and their family members stationed overseas. Go to your local post office or postal clerk and use the Label 11 -  DoD on your absentee ballot and mail it. You will then be able to track the status of your ballot on the U.S. Postal Service website at www.usps.com.

If you do not receive your ballot by October 2, use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) as your back-up ballot! Go to FVAP.gov and use our automated assistant to complete the FWAB. For each office for which you vote, write in either a candidate’s name or their party designation; check your State election website for candidate information, which generally is available 45 days before the election. If you receive your State ballot after submitting the FWAB, vote and return the State ballot as well. The State will only count your FWAB if your State ballot is not received by the deadline.

Maryland’s New Absentee Ballot Policy
 
The state of Maryland has implemented a new policy to speed up the delivery of absentee ballots to voters.  The new policy reaches out to overseas voters. If you are already registered to vote in Maryland you can now request to have a blank ballot delivered to you through the Internet.
 
Click here to register to vote and/or request your ballot.
(Link: http://www.capc.umd.edu/aca/index.html)
 
If you ask to receive your absentee ballot by email, your ballot will be posted to a website Maryland has developed for delivering absentee ballots. When the ballot is ready, you will receive an email with the link to the website and instructions on how to access your ballot. You will need a printer so you can print your ballot, which must be submitted by regular mail.
 
Ballots must be returned by Election Day by regular mail.
 
Maryland will hold a State Primary Election on Tuesday, 14 September 2010 to choose the candidates for all 8 Congressional districts. There is one Senate race in Maryland in 2010. The General Election for these offices will be held on Tuesday, 2 November 2010.

Additional information
For more information, visit FVAP at: http://www.fvap.gov/.

We want your feedback!  If you would like more information on the Federal Voting Assistance Program or need help with the absentee voting process, please contact FVAP at http://www.fvap.gov/, 1-800-438-8683, DSN (312) 425-1584, or at vote@fvap.gov.  Toll-free phone numbers from 67 countries are listed at: www.fvap.gov/contact/tollfreephone.html.  With your feedback, we can make this even more helpful for the next election.

U.S. citizens living or traveling in Nepal are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy through the State Department's travel registration website https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/ The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu is located at Maharajgunj.  The telephone number is 977-1-4007200, 4007201.  The number for after-hours emergencies is 977-1-4007266, 4007269.  The fax number is 977-1-4007281.  The Consulate’s e-mail address is consktm@state.gov and its Internet web page is http://nepal.usembassy.gov U.S. citizens should also consult the Department of State’s latest Travel Warning for Nepal, Country Specific Information for Nepal, and the Worldwide Caution, available at http://travel.state.gov/.  Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.  These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).