Summary of WFP assistance: In response to the devastating April 25 earthquake, WFP Nepal’s emergency operation reached two million people in the first phase of operations. A second phase of food assistance and nutrition support reached 1.1 million people, including those supported through an initial phase of cash for assets, which included light work and debris clearance. The EMOP is now in its third and final phase, focusing on early recovery, which will involve conditional food- and cash-for-assets activities, such as the rehabilitation of community assets, as well as a nutrition component. In this phase, WFP aims to reach over 400,000 people. These earthquake response activities are in addition to WFP Nepal’s regular programmes under the Country Programme.
As part of the earthquake response, two Special Operations (SO) were set up, the first entailing support to the humanitarian community through the Logistics Cluster and Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC). Both clusters are currently planning phase-out strategies, with the ETC phasing out in October 2015, while the Logistics Cluster is due to phase out at the end of December 2015. The Logistics Cluster response also includes Remote Access Operations (RAO), providing logistics transport services into remote mountainous areas using porterage and mules. This component provides support for porters whose livelihoods have been adversely affected by the earthquake, as well as rehabilitating the network of trekking and community trails in high altitude mountain areas. An UNHAS SO ensures humanitarian access to earthquake-affected areas as well as possible medical evacuation of humanitarian staff with a current fleet of three Mi-8 and one AS350 helicopters. At the beginning of September, UNHAS moved to a cost recovery funding model, with user agencies paying 20 percent of the cost of flights. UNHAS is planning to fly until December 2015.
The Country Programme, which includes food assistance for assets (FFA), education support and nutrition support, is complemented by Vulnerability Assessment and Mapping (VAM) and Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) activities, both funded by trust funds. WFP supports the Government of Nepal in institutionalising the Nepal Food Security Monitoring System (NeKSAP) nationwide. NeKSAP is a food security monitoring system that includes the integrated food security phase classification and crop and market monitoring. Through the EPR project, WFP has been developing and augmenting government and stakeholder capacity in logistics and ICT for responding to any potential major disaster (including earthquakes) in the Kathmandu Valley.
Food assistance to refugees from Bhutan, ongoing since 1992, is currently targeting 23,500 people. In September, the number of refugees receiving food assistance had dropped to 17,804. Third-country resettlement of refugees is continuing until the end of 2016; to date, about 99,000 refugees have been resettled, accounting for 91 percent of the 107,810 refugees recorded in 2008.
