The European Union is providing a grant assistance of Euros 1,047,000 (around NPR 100.15 million) to allow the World Food Programme (WFP) to transfer its food security phase classification monitoring system to the Government of Nepal and to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC) to monitor and analyse food security in the country.
Bishnu Prasad Aryal, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture of the Nepal Government and Nicolas Oberlin, WFP Deputy Country Director signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Ministry Monday for executing the aforementioned tasks.
Nathu Prasad Chaudhary, Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative, and Lluis Navarro, Head of Operations, European Union Delegation to Nepal were also present on the occasion.
The assistance being provided is part of a larger EUR 9 M intervention funded by the European Union and implemented by WFP in seven food insecure districts in the Mid- and Far-West.
"The EU is glad to assist WFP and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to develop an effective food monitoring mechanism since improving the food security situation has been one of the prioritized areas of EU cooperation in Nepal," Navarro said.
WFP Deputy Director, Oberlin thanked the EU for the support under the European Union Food Facility (EUFF) project and hoped for continued support in the days ahead.
Secretary Chaudhary said that the Ministry had worked with the WFP in many joint projects. But since the current programme is new, the Ministry looks forward to have mutual understanding and optimum coordination for a better outcome, he said.
District Food Security Networks have been set up by the WFP in close cooperation with Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC) in 61 out of the 75 districts of Nepal. Membership is open to all stakeholders active in the districts including relevant representatives of local authorities, local and international NGOs, UN agencies and civil society.
The District Food Security Networks meet on a quarterly basis and use the food security phase classification approach, which is based on a global method but adapted to the specific context and conditions of Nepal in order to monitor and analyse the status of food security in the district. Each District Food Security Network contributes to the development of a quarterly District Food Security Bulletin in English and Nepali.
The main objective of the project being run under the European Union Food Facility (EUFF) is to mitigate the effects of volatile food prices and to prevent seasonal hunger of ultra-poor agricultural households, including those of the poorest women-headed households. The project supports investment in infrastructure and livelihood enhancement measures in Darchula, Bajhang, Baitadi, Doti, Kailali, Sindhuli and Udayapur districts located in the hill regions of the Far West and Central/ Eastern regions of Nepal.
The project began on the 1st of May 2009 and will end on 31st August 2011. Some 50,980 most vulnerable households in the target districts reaching up to 285,000 beneficiaries are expected to reap the benefits of the project.
Contact person: Marion Michaud, Programme Manager, EU Delegation to Nepal, e-mail: Marion.Michaud@ec.europa.eu