1.1 Mln Nepalese In Quake-Hit Districts Face Food Crisis - Report

By Yuba Nath Lamsal KATHMANDU, June 4 (Bernama) -- At least 1.1 million people in the 11 districts worst hit by the recent earthquakes are highly vulnerable to food insecurity and are likely to suffer hunger, according to a report from the Nepalese agriculture ministry. A household food security survey, conducted by the agriculture ministry after the April 25 earthquake (between May 8 and 20), found the situation to be so, unless immediate measures were taken to supply adequate food from outside. "Household food stocks have been buried and crops destroyed, while economic activities of most families in the quake hit-districts have been affected, rendering many families vulnerable to food insecurity," the report says. The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) estimates that more than 1.4 million earthquake-hit people require food aid in Nepal. "The food security situation has deteriorated across much of the affected areas, with significant damage to household food stocks, while the fall in income and reliance on food assistance remains high." According to the report, 70 per cent of the surveyed households reported partial or total loss of their food stock space. The survey was carried out on around 1,000 households in the affected areas. The report has recommended that the government elevate humanitarian assistance to ensure stable food security in the quake-hit areas. Hemaraj Regmi, senior researcher in the ministry, said people in highly food-insecure situation were in need of immediate food aid. "Livelihoods, especially daily agricultural and non-agricultural labour, have been severely affected, with income loss of over 75 per cent," the report states. According to the report, the overall household expenses has dropped by an average of 13 per cent. The survey was carried out in collaboration with the Nepal Food Security Monitoring System (NKSAP), and with technical support from the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) and Food Security Cluster. Not only food grains, padi and maize seeds as well as essential agricultural tools are also buried in debris in the quake-hit districts. -- BERNAMA