KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 1
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a generous contribution of $499,951 from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for monitoring activities that improve the quality and availability of data about food security, nutrition, and livelihoods in Nepal.
Over the next two years, this information will enable public stakeholders to make more effective and data-driven decisions about investments to improve food security and community resilience.
According to the WFP's latest household assessment released in October 2022, approximately 17 per cent (4.91 million) of people living in Nepal are food insecure, which is a significant increase from 13.2 per cent in June 2022.
WFP and partners will use data generated under this initiative to continuously assess the impact of the global food crisis and other shocks and stresses on household food security at the national and provincial level.
Increasing the frequency and scope of data collection will enable the stakeholders including WFP, the government of Nepal, development, and humanitarian actors make better informed decisions about when, where, and how to invest in resilience building activities that safeguard food security for Nepal's most vulnerable social groups, especially women, persons with disabilities, and marginalised social groups.
Key outputs will include monthly market assessments, household surveys, and agricultural production monitoring reports.
"Data generated through the US- AID's partnership with the World Food Programme will help the government of Nepal, local actors and development partners better understand who is most affected by food insecurity and how to respond with the most appropriate form of assistance," Acting USAID Nepal Mission Director Karen Welch stated in a statement
"This partnership with the USAID is a significant step towards achieving sustainable food security and improved nutrition outcomes in Nepal," said WFP Nepal Country Director, Robert Kasca.
"Through rigorous data collection and analysis, we will be better equipped to address the challenges faced by our most vulnerable communities."
A version of this article appears in the print on October 2, 2023, of The Himalayan Times
