Attachments
Highlights
The household food security, livelihoods and vulnerability report is based on the ninth round of the nationally representative household survey conducted by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Nepal from mid-February to mid-March 2024, with the aim of assessing the impact of the global crisis and multiple shocks on food security and livelihoods in Nepal. Results from the March 2024 survey show that the adequacy of food consumption in Nepal has slightly deteriorated since April 2023.
Relative increases in food prices, continued slow recovery from the effect of the global crisis and COVID-19 pandemic, together with limited opportunities due to a relatively low rate of economic growth1 and the impact of localised shocks are contributing factors in the slight deterioration in the food security situation in Nepal. Continuing to monitor the food security situation across the country remains essential to guide related policies, interventions and support
Inadequacy of food consumption slightly increased in March 2024 with approximately 4.55 million people (15.6 percent of the population) not consuming an adequate diet - a one percent increase compared to April 2023.
About 6 percent of households reported that they did not have enough food to meet their daily needs in the week before the survey. Increase in the price of foods (49.8 percent), lack of money to buy foods (19.3 percent) and shortage of foods in the market or grocery store (14.9 percent) were the main reasons reported. Nearly 1 in 3 households (31.2 percent) reported using at least one livelihood coping strategy in the previous month, of which 25.9 percent adopted stress coping strategies, 3.7 percent crisis coping strategies and 1.6 emergency coping strategies.
Nearly 11 percent of households adopted at least one food-based coping strategy, such as consuming less expensive food.
Over 36 percent of children aged 6-23 months and 20 percent of women of reproductive age did not meet the minimum recommended dietary diversity.
Nearly one quarter of households (24.8 percent) reported that their income had decreased in the previous six months, a finding lower than the April 2023 survey. Nearly 24 percent of households faced at least one shock in the past six months, encountering higher prices of food, other economic shocks, plant diseases and other intra household shocks. As a result of this, respondents reported that basic food items were much more expensive and unaffordable.
Overall, the findings indicate that households with a disabled member, an illiterate household head, informal sector workers, small farm holders, and those living in rural areas are more likely to be food insecure, with a higher prevalence of moderately and severely food insecure households.