UK provides Rs 130 million to help Nepali mothers and children to meet nutritional needs

The UK government has made an additional £788,000 (Rs 130 million) toward its nutrition support for vulnerable families in Nepal.

The UK aid contribution, through the British Embassy Kathmandu, comes at a time when monsoon floods, on top of the socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, are disrupting livelihoods and exacerbating food insecurity and malnutrition for many Nepalis, according to a press note issued by WFP Office in Kathmandu.

The funding is in addition to the £4.49 million (Rs 678 million) WFP received from the UK Government in December 2020 towards the agency’s response to Covid-19. "Natural hazards affect marginalised communities disproportionately, including women and children," the press note quoted development director at the British Embassy Kathmandu, Nathanael Bevan.

"Protecting the health of the Nepali people is a top UK priority," he said, adding that the UK is glad to be supporting WFP’s efforts to make sure vulnerable Nepalis, especially mothers and children, receive proper food and nutrition.

The support will mean more than 100,000 mothers and children in 8 districts in Province 2, Sunsari in Province 1, Jajarkot in Karnali province, Kailali, and Kanchanpur in Sudur Paschim province will receive Super Cereal, a specialised nutritional product that helps prevent malnutrition, for two months. Mothers will also receive information and counselling on nutrition and Covid-19. Part of the contribution will help WFP conduct a new round of cross-country household food security surveys.

Nepal is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. Each year, thousands of Nepalis are affected by floods, landslides and other forms of natural hazards linked to climate change. Already over 15 per cent of households in Nepal are food-insecure, while around 39 per cent of children between 6 to 23 months do not meet minimum dietary requirements. This monsoon season, women and children’s access to adequate and nutritious food is further threatened by Covid-19.

"The pandemic and its socio-economic impact have put unrelenting pressure on Nepalese families’ food security," the press note quoted WFP Nepal country director Jane Pearce. "Between December 2020 and June 2021, the number of households experiencing income loss has doubled - from 21 per cent to 45 per cent - making food increasingly out of reach for many," Pearce said, adding that they are thankful for this timely contribution from the UK Government. "It will enable us to reach the most vulnerable mothers and children whose lives have been made harder by Covid, and now the monsoon, in support of the Government of Nepal’s emergency preparedness and response."

An additional 3.9 million children under 5 could suffer from wasting in South Asia due to Covid-19 : UNICEF

An additional 3.9 million children in South Asia under the age of five could suffer from wasting – and therefore become dangerously undernourished – in 2020 as a result of the socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, UNICEF warned today.
According to analysis published in The Lancet, some 6.7 million children globally could suffer from wasting and over half – some 58 per cent or 3.9 million – would be from South Asia alone. “It’s been seven months since the first Covid-19 cases were reported and it is increasingly clear that the repercussions of the pandemic are causing more harm to children than the disease itself,” said UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore. “Household poverty and food insecurity rates have increased,” he said, adding that essential nutrition services and supply chains have been disrupted. “Food prices have soared.”
As a result, the quality of children’s diets has gone down and malnutrition rates will go up, he added.
Wasting is a life-threatening form of malnutrition, which makes children too thin and weak, and puts them at greater risk of dying, poor growth, development and learning. According to UNICEF, even before the Covid-19 pandemic, some 47 million children were already wasted in 2019, over half of whom – some 25 million – lived in South Asia. “Without urgent action, the global number of children suffering from wasting could reach almost 54 million over the course of the year,” the UNICEF said, adding that it would bring global wasting to levels not seen this millennium.
The Lancet analysis finds that the prevalence of wasting among children under the age of five could increase by 14.3 per cent in low- and middle-income countries this year, due to the socio-economic impacts of Covid-19. Such an increase in child malnutrition, combined with disruptions in vitamin A supplementation and breastfeeding, would translate into over 10,000 additional child deaths per month globally.
The estimated increase in child wasting is only the tip of the iceberg, UN agencies warn. Covid-19 will also increase other forms of malnutrition in children and women, including stunting, micronutrient deficiencies and overweight and obesity as a result of poorer diets and the disruption of nutrition services. The UNICEF reports from the early months of the pandemic suggest a 30 per cent overall reduction in the coverage of essential – and often life-saving – nutrition services.
In South Asia, these service disruptions have been more severe. For example, during the initial weeks of lock-down, the treatment of severe wasting ground to a halt in India and Nepal, while a fear of infection and lack of protective equipment for health workers led to an estimated 40 per cent and 75 per cent decline in admissions to treat severe wasting in children in Afghanistan and Bangladesh, respectively.
Furthermore, most countries in the region had to postpone vitamin A supplementation, and so millions of children under five years are missing the immune-boosting effects of vitamin A during a time of greatest need. While essential nutrition services are now resuming, they have not yet returned to prior capacity.
“We are also deeply concerned about the potential impact on breastfeeding practices,” UNICEF regional director for South Asia Jean Gough said, adding that it is essential that mothers are encouraged and supported to continue breastfeeding, even if they have Covid-19 infection. “Breast milk provides the best nutrition for babies as well as protection from a range of life-threatening infections.”
In a commentary to The Lancet report, also released today, the heads of UNICEF, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that the Covid-19 pandemic is undermining nutrition across the world particularly in low- and middle-income countries, with the worst consequences being borne by young children. More children and women are becoming malnourished due to the deteriorating quality of their diets, the interruption of nutrition services, and the shocks created by the pandemic.
Humanitarian agencies immediately need $2.4 billion to protect maternal and child nutrition in the most vulnerable countries from now until the end of the year. The heads of the four UN agencies appeal to governments, the public, donors and the private sector to protect children’s right to nutrition by:
• Safeguarding access to nutritious, safe and affordable diets as a cornerstone of the response to Covid-19 by protecting food producers, processors and retailers; discouraging trade bans; and designating food markets as essential services; 
• Investing decisively in support for maternal and child nutrition by protecting breastfeeding, preventing the inappropriate marketing of infant formula, and securing children and women’s access to nutritious and diverse foods;
• Re-activating and scaling up services for the early detection and treatment of child wasting while expanding other life-protecting nutrition services;
• Maintaining the provision of nutritious and safe school meals by reaching vulnerable children through home delivery, take-home rations, cash or vouchers when schools are closed; and
• Expanding social protection to safeguard access to nutritious diets and essential services among the poorest and most affected households, including access to fortified foods.
“We are encouraged by the efforts being taken across South Asia to resume nutrition services,” Jean Gough said, adding that it is essential that we combine efforts across health and social protection to prevent more children from becoming wasted, and to identify and treat those that do.

Development Partners provide roadmap for safe reopening of schools

Four development partners – UNESCO, UNICEF, WFP and World Bank – have issued new guidelines on the safe reopening of schools amidst ongoing closures affecting nearly 1.3 billion students worldwide.
Warning that the widespread closures of educational facilities in response to the Covid-19 pandemic present an unprecedented risk to children’s education and wellbeing, particularly for the most marginalised children, who rely on school for their education, health, safety and nutrition, the guidelines offer practical advice for national and local authorities on how to keep children safe when they return to school.
“Rising inequality, poor health outcomes, violence, child labour and child marriage are just some of the long-term threats for children who miss out on school,” said UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore. “We know the longer children stay out of school, the less likely they are to ever return,” Fore said, adding that unless we prioritise the reopening of schools – when it is safe to do so – we will likely see a devastating reversal in education gains.
The new guidelines note that while there is not yet enough evidence to measure the impact of school closures on disease transmission rates, the adverse effects of school closures on children’s safety and learning are well documented. Gains made in increasing access to children’s education in recent decades risk being lost and, in the worse cases, reversed completely.
“In the poorest countries, children often rely on schools for their only meal of the day,” WFP executive director David Beasley said, adding that with many schools now closed because of Covid, some 370 million children are missing out on these nutritious meals, which are a lifeline for poor families. “They are also being denied the health support they normally get through school.”
This could do lasting damage, so when schools reopen it is critical that these meal programmes and health services are restored, which can also help to draw the most vulnerable children back to school,” Beasley added.
The best interests of children and overall public health considerations – based on an assessment of the associated benefits and risks to education, public health and socio-economic factors – must be central to national and local authorities’ decisions to reopen schools, the guidelines read.
Schools must look at how they can reopen better – with improved learning and more comprehensive support for children at the school including health, nutrition, psychosocial support and water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.
As countries grapple with when to reopen schools, UNESCO, UNICEF, WFP and World Bank – as part of the Global Education Coalition – urge governments to assess the benefits of classroom-based instruction compared to remote learning, and the risk factors related to reopening of schools, noting the inconclusive evidence around the infection risks related to school attendance.
“While many students are falling behind in their learning journey because of prolonged school closures, the decision of when and how to reopen schools, while far from straightforward, should be a priority,” UNESCO director-general Audrey Azoulay said, adding that once there is a green light on the health front, a whole set of measures will need to be in place to ensure that no student is left behind. “These guidelines provide all-round guidance for governments and partners to facilitate the reopening of schools for students, teachers and families,” Azoulay added. “We share one goal: to protect and advance the right to education for every learner.”

The guidelines include:
• Policy reform: Policy implications address all dimensions of the guidelines, including clear policies for school opening and closure during public health emergencies, reforms needed to expand equitable access for marginalised and out of school children as well as strengthen and standardise remote learning practices.
• Financing requirements: Address the impact of COVID-19 on education and invest in strengthening education systems for recovery and resilience.
• Safe operations: Ensure conditions that reduce disease transmission, safeguard essential services and supplies and promote healthy behaviour. This includes access to soap and clean water for safe handwashing, procedures on when staff or students feel unwell, protocols on social distancing and good hygiene practices.
• Compensating learning: Focus on practices that compensate for lost instructional time, strengthen pedagogy and build on hybrid learning models such as integrating approaches in remote and distance education. This must include knowledge on disease transmission and prevention.
• Wellness and protection: Expand the focus on students’ well-being and reinforce the protection of children through enhanced referral mechanisms and the provision of essential school-based services including healthcare and school feeding.
• Reaching the most marginalised: Adapt school opening policies and practices to expand access to marginalised groups such as previously out-of-school children, displaced and migrant children and minorities. Diversify critical communications and outreach by making them available in relevant languages and in accessible formats.
“Once schools begin to reopen, the priority becomes reintegrating students into school settings safely and in ways that allow learning to pick up again, especially for those who suffered the biggest learning losses,” World Bank global director for Education Jaime Saavedra said, adding that it is a critical moment as it is the launching pad for a new normal that should be more effective and equitable. “To manage reopenings, schools will need to be logistically prepared with the teaching workforce ready.”
And they will need to have plans specifically for supporting learning recovery of the most disadvantaged students, Saavedra said. “The guidelines offer a framework for moving forward that the major UN agencies are aligned around.”

More budget needed to achieve 'Zero hunger'

National Planning Commission (NPC) today launched 'Towards Zero Hunger in Nepal: A Strategic Review of Food Security and Nutrition', making a strong case for increased attention and investment in food security and nutrition.
The Strategic Review Report – released by deputy prime minister and health minister Upendra Yadav and NPC Dr Krishna Prasad Oli – was produced following an independent study under the supervision of an inter-ministerial advisory group led by the planning commission. It provides a consolidated picture of the food security and nutrition status, challenges, opportunities and recommendations towards achieving 'Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger in Nepal by 2030'. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) in collaboration with FAO and UNICEF, provided technical support for the strategic review process.
In Constitution of Nepal enshrined the 'right to food' of all citizens, and subsequently the government commitment to this is elaborated in the Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act endorsed in 2018. As part of the government's continued commitment, the report will be a key tool to support execution of this Act, with a specific action plan to achieve SDG2 targets to ensure that 'no-one is left behind'.
Yadav releasing the report said that the review results are vital to promote access and availability to safe, nutritious and affordable food, which we strive to have locally produced. "By ensuring a holistic approach to increase local production that combines traditional food varieties with modern agricultural technologies, we now have the opportunity to improve the way we work together, so that every citizen has access to locally available, affordable and nutritious food and we achieve a nation free of hunger," he added.
Speaking on the importance of the Zero Hunger in Nepal: A Strategic Review (ZHSR), Oli said that the government now has the opportunity to strengthen political commitment both at the centre and the periphery, by including SDG2 and recommendations from the ZHSR in all national policies, plans, strategies and budgets at provincial and local levels.

Government prioritises food security

The government claimed that it has highly prioritized food security to meet the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Addressing the board meeting of World Food Programme (WFP) in Rome finance minister Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada said that Nepal has highly prioritised the issue of food security in order to meet the target of SDGs. Hde also expressed Nepal’s commitment to ensure food security and achieve zero hunger in a few years time.
"This meeting is important for Nepal also for the reason that the new five-year country strategic plan of WFP is being approved by the executive board," he said, adding that the plan has been developed in a highly participatory way, aligning with the national priorities, UNDAF and SDGs. "The government will work together with WFP to implement it."
Nepal – being a signatory to 2030 Agenda for SDGs – is implementing it and prioritising them with a focus on SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), which would be instrumental in achieving several other SDGs including No Poverty, Education, and Good Health and Well-Being.
"This prioritisation of SDG 2 is supported strongly by our commitment to ensuring human right to adequate food, now constitutionally enshrined through the Right to Food and Food Sovereignty Act 2018; thereby enshrining Zero Hunger within the constitution,” Khatiwada added.

DfID extends 1.5m pounds to WFP for post-quake works

The Department for International Development (DfID) – a United Kingdom’s government agency that looks into overseas aid – has extended 1.5 million pounds to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to support post-earthquake reconstruction works in Nepal.
The fund made available by the DfID will be used to rehabilitate six trails of 129-km and complete engineer assessments on a further six trails of 158-km in the areas that were most severely affected by the devastating earthquakes of April and May, 2015, according to a press statement issued today by the WFP.
The new trails will be built to withstand seasonal landslides as well as future earthquakes. The project will directly or indirectly benefit approximately 55,175 people living in the mountainous areas of Dhading, Gorkha, and Rasuwa.
“Nearly 18 months ago, the devastating earthquakes destroyed trails and roads in large swathes of rural Nepal, and the effects are still being felt today,” the statement quotes Pippa Bradford, WFP Nepal representative and country director, as saying. “WFP knows that access to trails helps communities reach markets and social services, and is inextricably linked to food security and economic development.”
Likewise, head of DfID Nepal Gail Marzetti, on the occasion said that investing in rural access, including with foot trails and bridges, is fundamental for the reconstruction effort in some of the most difficult to reach earthquake affected area.
WFP – the world’s largest humanitarian agency that fights hunger worldwide delivers food in emergencies and works with communities to build resilience – has been active in trail reconstruction across Nepal, most recently in its response to the 2015 earthquakes, when around 880-km of trails were either reopened or rehabilitated providing access for 130,000 people, the release added.

Wheat production set to drop by 20.5 per cent

Nepal's wheat production is estimated to drop by 20.5 percent in the current fiscal year.

Wheat production forecast for 2015-16 is 1,570 metric tons, a 20.5 per cent decrease compared to the production level of 1,975 metric tons in 2014-15, according to CCAFS Regional Agricultural Forecasting Toolbox (CRAFT).

The first advance estimate of 2015-16 wheat production in Nepal, which has been conducted using CRAFT, has also forecast that the current fiscal year's figure is a 16 per cent decline from average production over the last five years.

The significant drop in production is attributed to an estimated five percent decrease in wheat cultivation area nationwide as compared to the 2014-15 season. "Wheat grown area decreased because of two main reasons – severe shortage of fuel for irrigation and land preparation, and limited availability and use of fertilizers – both of which were caused by the political crisis in the Tarai and restricted cross-border trade with India from September 2015 to February 2016," the study report says.

In addition, according to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, cumulative rainfall during this winter season – from November 2015 to January 2016 – was far below the 30-year average.

Official reports from the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, however, are yet to be published. "Because of inadequate soil moisture due to delayed and poor rains and limited irrigation due to the shortage of fuel, it was assumed in the CRAFT model run that the irrigated area decreased by 25 per cent and wheat plantation was late by 10 days," the report further added.

The preliminary estimate, which will be revised with updated data as the season progresses, has been jointly produced by the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD), World Food Programme (WFP), and the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) as part of the Nepal Food Security Monitoring System (NeKSAP).

CRAFT incorporates a crop simulation model (DSSAT), weather and seasonal forecast module (CPT) and a GIS mapping module, and it provides the support for spatial input data, spatial crop simulations, integration of seasonal climate forecasts, spatial aggregation, probabilistic analysis of forecast uncertainty, and calibration of model predictions from historical agricultural statistics, analysis and visualization that increase the authenticity of the estimation and correctness of the forecast.

"The tool helps to provide advance information to farmers, extension agents and policy makers allowing them to manage within-season climate risks to agriculture," the report said, adding that the model has been used in Nepal for a pilot study and is being currently used in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India as well.

Relief aid flowing into Nepal, rebuilding could exceed Rs 1 trillion

The country needs around Rs 1 trillion to reconstruct the damaged infrastructure in the Saturday's devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake.
The cost to rebuild Nepal after its most devastating earthquake, in eight decades, would exceed Rs 1 trillion ($10 billion) and take years, according to the finance minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat. The reconstruction estimate is equivalent to around half of Nepal's GDP that stands at Rs 2 trillion ($20 billion).
According to the US Geology survey, the earthquake has damaged around Rs 1 trillion worth infrastructure including world heritage sites and historic monuments, roads, and buildings. "Due to the mountainous geography, infrastructure damage, collapsed bridges and damaged roads, access to many of the affected areas is reported to be extremely limited," according to the UN.
Scared to sleep inside due to fear that cracked buildings might crumble in another aftershock, Kathmanduites have been living as refugee out in the open. Kathmandu valley has turned into a refugee camp, and they it is in dire need of tents, water supply and medicines, before it is too late to control outbreak of cholera. The situation is not different outside the valley too.
Likewise, the mountainenous region is out of reach also due to geographical difficulty. The UN has also estimated that about one third of the country's population of 28 million have been affected due to the quake with about 1.4 million in need of food assistance.
The government with its limited resources is doing its best to provide relief, Mahat said thanking the development partners for their immediate relief response.
The friendly nations and development partners have committed around Rs 8 billion grant as an immediate relief package, apart from medicines, tents, water, food stuff and relief staff. However, the government that is struggling hard to rescue people trapped more than 72 hours after the earthquake, is waiting for the cash to fund the rescue work.
The International aid organisations and foreign governments are scrambling to get much-needed relief to Nepal.
The United States, India, Israel, Pakistan and other governments have sent emergency supplies and personnel such as doctors to Nepal. The Red Cross has 1,500 volunteers and 300 staff on the ground providing basic first-aid and other support.
On Monday, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) issued an appeal to raise 33.5 million Swiss francs ($35.2 million) to provide emergency assistance. "We call on all partners and donors to urgently and generously support our action," said IFRC secretary general Elhadj As Sy.
The country needs some $13 billion to $18 billion investment to fill the infrastructure gap and also to help country graduate from the current Least Development Country (LDC) status to development country status by 2022. With the current damage of estimated $10 billion, the country now needs to invest around $28 billion in infrastructure that could propel sustainable economic growth.
Though the country has witnessed a political stability, the economy has been slowing recently. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank (WB) have recently estimated the economy to grow at 4.6 per cent – down from 5.2 per cent a year before – and down from the government's target of six per cent, due to mainly poor monsoon. But the damage of the Saturday's devastating earthquake will pull the economic growth further down.
Though for the time being many charities, government agencies and nonprofits are sending essential aid and medical assistance for the rescue and recovery efforts.

Here are some of the countries and organisations that have announced cash contribution:
United Nations: The office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs is releasing $15 million from the U.N.'s emergency relief fund. It expects to issue an appeal for donations from member states later this week.
United States: Washington has committed a total of $10 million for response and recovery efforts, according to US secretary of State John Kerry.
Japan: Announced a 1 billion yen ($8.4 million) grant and sent rescue personnel.
United Kingdom: Department for International Development (DfID) announced a £5 million ($7.6 million) aid package on Sunday; £3 million will be used immediately; £2 million will be given to the British Red Cross.
Canada: Donating 5 million Canadian dollars ($4.1 million) to aid organisations to help with life-saving efforts.
Norway: Donated 30 million Norwegian kroner ($3.9 million) for relief efforts.
Australia: Donated 5 million Australian dollars ($3.9 million) and sent experts.
European Commission: Announced €3 million ($3.3 million) in immediate aid money for Nepal on Sunday.
China: Ministry of Commerce has reportedly given 20 million yuan ($3.2 million) in humanitarian aid, according to the Chinese newspaper, China Daily.
Germany: Berlin has pledged €2.5 million ($2.7 million) and is sending supplies.
Singapore: Donated 100,000 Singapore dollars ($75,000) to the Singapore Red Cross for aid. Singapore Red Cross agency is appealing for more donations. Has already begun disbursing 50,000 Singapore dollars worth of emergency supplies.
Asian Development Bank: The group of 48 countries in Asia and the Pacific are providing a $3 million grant.
USAID: $1 million in emergency financial support.
AmeriCares: The group has raised $750,000 to support relief efforts in Nepal.
American Red Cross: $300,000 initial contribution.
Save the Children: £300,000 ($454,000) in emergency aid. Expects to eventually send millions.
Christian Aid: Immediately sent £50,000 ($76,000) in aid on Saturday. Has raised £124,000 ($188,000) from donations. Expects to raise over £1 million for this urgent appeal.
Oxfam: The British aid agency said online donations totaled £500,000 in Great Britain and $1 million in the United States.
Companies
Coca-Cola: The beverage giant said it is working to provide bottled water to survivors as soon as possible.
Pepsi: Is also donating bottled water and food.
Kellogg: The food company said it donated $200,000 to the World Food Programme (WFP) that is earmarked for Nepal.
Toyota: Making a combined donation of 10 million yen, or about $84,000.
Facebook: The social network has developed a new tool called Safety Check. The simple tool sends messages to people who are in Nepal, urging them to click a button to let their Facebook friends know they're okay.
Google: The search engine has revived its "Person Finder" tool this weekend. The tool helps people search for and post information about missing friends and family in the disaster zone. As of Monday morning, the site hosted 5,600 entries.
Microsoft: Has pledged $1 million in cash and in-kind donations. It is also offering free Skype calls to and from Nepal.
UPS: Pledged $200,000 to various charities working in Nepal.
Communications companies: T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, Vodafone Time Warner Cable and others have waived fees for calls in Nepal.
Payment providers: Apple, PayPal, Square Cash are waiving fees and taking other steps to facilitate donations.

DfID gives £2 million to WFP Nepal for earthquake emergency preparedness

The UK Department for International Development (DfID) has made a contribution of £2 million (Rs 326.8 million) to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Nepal to boost national capacity to respond to a major earthquake in the Kathmandu Valley.

"As the lead of the Logistics Cluster for the humanitarian community, WFP needs to be ready to provide the transportation and communications support to allow national and international aid actors to respond in the event of a major earthquake,” said WFP country director in Nepal Nicole Menage.

Kathmandu is considered by experts to be the world’s most at-risk city to a major earthquake.  Rapid urbanisation, high-density and poorly planned construction, and limited adherence to building codes, have substantially increased the vulnerability of the Kathmandu Valley. The predicted loss of life, displacement and damage to infrastructure is likely to require a humanitarian response on the scale of the one seen in Haiti in 2010.

“We are thankful for this substantial grant from DfID, which shows great foresight,” Menage said, adding that investing in preparedness measures now will save money and lives when the time comes for an emergency response. "The UK is pleased to be able to support Nepal’s preparedness for a major disaster," head of DfID Nepal Gail Marzetti said, adding that WFP bring global logistical expertise and are ideally placed to support Nepal’s preparedness effort, which will undoubtedly save many lives should an event strike.

WFP’s plan for strengthening emergency logistics and communications structures in the Kathmandu Valley has been developed in coordination with national and international stakeholders, and is consistent with government priorities. It envisages the development of staging areas in the Kathmandu Valley for the reception of large volumes of aid by air and road, prepositioning of smaller humanitarian staging areas within the Kathmandu metropolitan area to allow for the flow of aid to heavily affected areas, assessments and improvements of government warehouses within the Kathmandu Valley to facilitate access to food stocks and other relief items and training of key staff from partners and government agencies in supply chain management and emergency operations.

December to see no change in price hike

Food prices are likely to remain stable or increase in December with the start of the off-season for most cereal crops, according to a report.

Prices of imported commodities are expected to remain high or increase due to the appreciation of the US Dollar against the Nepali Rupee, said the Market Warch jointly produced by the World Food Programme, Nepal; Department of Agriculture, Agribusiness Promotion and Marketing Development  Directorate; Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries/Agro Enterprise Centre and Consumer's Interest Protection Forum.

"The overall summer crop production in 2013 is expected to be better compared to last year," it said, adding that it will help to enhance the country's national food balance in the current fiscal year 2013-14.

However, chicken became the most expensive in November, as the price increased by 12.4 per cent on month-on-month basis. Likewise, the retail prices of most of the food commodities like wheat flour and red potato also increased by three per cent and 8.2 per cent, whereas black gram and broken lentil price went up by 0.1 per cent and 0.6 per cent, respectively. Coarse rice price, but declined by two per cent due to the increased supply from the recent harvest.

Compared to three months earlier, the price of coarse rice, wheat flour, red

potato and chicken meat showed an upward trend, while the price of pulses and edible oils showed a downward trend, it added. "However, compared to the same period last year, the price of most food commodities, except edible oils, showed an upward trend.   

Price trends in regional markets followed the national trend, with an upward trend in the price of wheat flour and broken lentil and a declining trend of the price of coarse rice, the monthly report added.

One in every four Nepalis consumes inadequate food

A quarter of the population consume inadequate food, according to a survey.

"Some 25.3 per cent of the population had inadequate food consumption during the latest cycle, a slight deterioration since the previous cycle but a significant improvement compared to the same period last year, reported the Nepal Food Security Monitoring System (NeKSAP) household survey.

"The highest proportion of households with inadequate food consumption (33.6 per cent) was in the mountain districts," it revealed, adding that the average household food stock was 341 kg. "With current food stock levels households can meet their food needs for roughly 3.9 months."

The NeKSAP District Food Security Networks (DFSNs) has also classified 11 village development committees (VDCs) in Dailekh and Darchula districts as Phase 3 highly food insecure or crisis.

In Dailekh the primary reasons for the high level of food insecurity include the loss of roughly 80 per cent of the main winter crop – that is wheat – as a result of hailstorms and a decrease in income from the sale of agricultural products by 40 per cent to 60 per cent, whereas in Darchula, flood led to the current situation, it added. "Overall, an estimated 37,130 people are affected."

Reported coping strategies include selling of livestock and assets and skipping meals; out-migration has increased by 20 per cent to 40 per cent in Dailekh. Furthermore, DFSNs in 12 districts have classified 147 VDCs as Phase 2 moderately food insecure or stressed in this period.

Likewise, Ministry of Agricultural Development, WFP and FAO joint crop assessment the fiscal year 2012-13 estimated the production of main winter crops, wheat and barley, at 1.9 million metric tonnes (MT) and 37,000 MT respectively, an increase by two per cent and six per cent respectively over a fiscal year 2011-12. However, the estimated national crop production was 8.74 million MT, a decrease of 7.6 per cent compared to last year. Overall, there was a net positive national cereal balance for human consumption, with a surplus of 408.4 thousand MT. Nevertheless, 33 districts, mostly in the Mid- and Far-Western Hill and Mountain regions, are food deficit.

However, the rest of the country has had a seasonal improvement in the food security situation, largely due to the recent harvest of the winter cereal crops like wheat and barley, the report prepared Jointly by the Ministry of Agricultural Development Food Security Monitoring Unit and WFP Food Security Monitoring and Analysis Unit – for the period from April to June – said. " The number of VDCs experiencing varying levels of food insecurity have fallen to 158 from 209 in the January-March period."

Some parts of the country are likely to experience a deterioration in the food security situation during July-August, but it should improve with the start of the maize and paddy harvest during September-October."

Household income pattern

KATHMANDU: The survey also revealed that the largest share of household income source was daily wages (29 per cent) followed by crop sales (19 per cent), remittances (14 per cent), and private enterprise (13 per cent). According to central bank, the remittance inflow during in the last fiscal year 2012-13 stood at Rs 434.58 billion, an increase of 20.9 per cent compared to a fiscal year ago.