WFP unveils plan to feed 2.5m in Nepal

WFP unveils plan to feed 2.5m in Nepal
eKantipur, 15-Aug-08

The World Food Program (WFP)-Nepal announced plans on Friday to expand operations to feed 2.5 million people who are of late struggling with the compounded effects of high food prices, decade-long conflict and drought.

The UN food agency in a statement said approximately half of those in need would be covered under the WFP’s existing program targeting 1.2 million people struggling to recover from conflict, an onslaught of natural disasters and the additional burden of high food prices.

Under the expanded operation, an additional 1.3 million will receive food assistance, and a minimum of 31 districts will be covered.

“In a country where more than 40 percent of the people are undernourished, millions of people are already living under constant threat of hunger. We have already seen how rising food and fuel prices have forced families to reduce the amount of food they consume - putting them at risk of malnutrition,” WFP country representative Richard Ragan said in the statement.

WFP-Nepal said it has recently received from Saudi Arabia a US$ 6 million contribution, announced earlier this week as part of the WFP’s package to assist 16 “hunger hotspots” across the world including Nepal.

“The contribution from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will help us to rapidly scale up to feed Nepal’s hungry, but we still need an additional US$ 70 million to reach the 2.5 million Nepalis who are becoming hungrier everyday as food prices continue to rise,” stated Ragan.

Nepal relies heavily on imports from its neighbors, primarily India, for essential commodities, including food and fuel. “Frequent strikes by transport syndicates disrupt the flow of commodities, causing localized food shortages and further increasing food prices,” the statement added.

Other major donors to the WFP’s operation to provide food assistance to vulnerable people affected by high food prices and conflict include the United States, the UN Central Emergency Revolving Fund, the Netherlands and Germany.

The world’s largest humanitarian agency has planned to feed around 90 million people in 80 countries.