UN food agency starts emergency aid deliveries to drought-affected western Nepal

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Nepal has started transporting emergency food assistance to support over 225,000 people in drought-affected parts of the country, many located in remote locations that could require expensive airlift operations.

“Food insecurity is already a fact of life in these districts, and we are very concerned that the effects of the drought will exacerbate what is already a precarious situation,” said Richard Ragan, County Director for WFP in Nepal. “With the rains approaching, the time to act is now if we are able to save lives in these areas.”

The operation plans to provide assistance through an accelerated Food-for-Work programme. WFP is borrowing close to 800 metric tonnes of rice from the Nepal Food Corporation with the intention of reaching 225,000 Nepalese victims, who will earn a two month ration of rice and fortified wheat flour through participation in the programme’s quick impact projects. Dependent on donor funding, this emergency operation has currently received less than 30 per cent of the resources sought.

The production of rain-fed wheat was drastically impacted in 10 of Nepal’s districts, posing acute food shortages, WFP concluded following an assessment carried out with the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). The agencies determined that immediate assistance was needed to help affected households until the next harvest.

“Families in these areas are struggling to find enough food to feed their children by selling of their household goods and livestock to survive the rainless period,” said Mr. Ragan. Should funding be forthcoming, all the affected areas should receive WFP’s emergency food assistance.

WFP is already providing food to poor, food insecure people through its development programmes in 35 districts across Nepal.