HIGHLIGHTS AND SITUATION SUMMARY
This issue covers the period of mid-November 2015 to mid-March 2016, the second trimester of Nepalese Fiscal Year 2072/73. This bulletin is based on the outcomes of NeKSAP district food security network (DFSN) meetings held in 74 of 75 districts during February-March 2016. The food security situation in this period was affected by seasonality (the winter lean period), climate events (poor monsoon, drought in the mid-and far-western hills and mountains), a significant natural disaster (the 2015 earthquake), and political reasons (trade disruptions with India and unrest in the Terai). In this period:
DFSNs classified 134 Village Development Committees (VDCs) in 11 districts, namely Gorkha, Dhading, Dolakha, Ramechhap, Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Bajura, Dolpa, Humla, Mugu and Kalikot, as highly food insecure (Phase 3) and reported that nearly 300,000 people were affected. This situation was attributed to the winter lean period, continued impact of the April-May 2015 earthquakes and the impacts of drought in some of the mid- and far-western hill and mountain districts.
DFSNs also classified an additional 751 VDCs in 28 districts as moderately food insecure (Phase 2).The food security situation in the earthquake affected districts has generally improved compared to the situation reported in the DFSNs in July and November 2015. None of VDCs in the current period were classified as severely food insecure (Phase 4) and the number of VDCs classified as highly food insecure (Phase 3) also decreased. Improvements were attributed to crop harvests, remittances, humanitarian assistance, resumption of market function and better road access.
Three significant events should be noted in this period: first, a decrease in 2015 summer crop production due to poor monsoon rains; second, disruptions to cross-border trade with India affecting the supply of fuel and essential goods and transportation services; and, third, a drought in many mid and far western hill and mountain districts affecting crop growth and the production prospects of 2015/16 winter crops.
According to Nepal Rastra Bank, the year-on-year Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 10.2 percent in March 2016. The pulse sub-group had the largest year-on-year increase at 36.1 percent in March 2016.
NOTE: NeKSAP monitored the winter drought in the Karnali and far-western region through DFSN meetings, onsite observations and remote sensing information in collaboration with ICIMOD. The findings are presented on page 7.