Current situation: mid-November 2016 to mid-March 2017
Overview
District Food Security Networks (DFSN) in 74 districts1 met in March 2017 to review the food security situation between mid-November 2016 to mid-March 2017 (the Nepali months of Mangsir, Paush, Magh, and Falgun 2073) and provide an outlook for the food security situation between mid-March to mid-July 2017 (the Nepali months of Chaitra, Baisakh, Jestha, and Asar 2073/74). DFSNs classified each Village Development Committee (VDC) and municipality in their district based on the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)2 method as either minimally food insecure (Phase 1), moderately food insecure (Phase 2) or highly food insecure (Phase 3). In this round there were no VDCs classified as severely food insecure (Phase 4) or above.
Overall, out of 3,367 VDCs and municipalities in 74 districts, DFSNs classified 48 VDCs (1.4 percent) as highly food insecure (Phase 3), 183 VDCs (5.4 percent) as moderately food insecure (Phase 2), and 3,136 VDCs and municipalities (93.1 percent) as minimally food insecure (Phase 1). See Map 1 for the geographic distribution of food insecure areas. Generally, DFSN analytical outcomes are validated and endorsed through MoAD’s regional review meetings. However, these did not take place in April as planned because of the enforcement of the Election Commission’s Code of Conduct relating to the upcoming local level elections.
Highlights
Since the April-May 2015 earthquakes, DFSN meetings have reported a gradual improvement in the overall food security situation in the affected districts of the western, central and eastern regions. In the current reporting period DFSNs cited summer crops (paddy and maize) harvests and resumption of livelihood activities as major factors contributing to improvement in the food security situation as compared to the last monitoring cycle (mid-July to mid-November 2016). Nevertheless, DFSNs classified some VDCs in Gorkha and Dhading as highly food insecure (Phase 3). Most of these VDCs are northern, high altitude areas with marginal land where production of cereal crops is low. Also, DFSNs attributed the situation to poor sanitation and hygiene, slow pace of post-earthquake reconstruction, and poor incomes from on- and off-farm sources.
In some districts of the mid- and far-western regions DFSNs reported that the food security situation has deteriorated in this period. DFSNs in Humla, Mugu, Kalikot and Bajura classified some VDCs as highly food insecure (Phase 3) and attributed the situation to the winter lean period, a poor summer crop harvest, poor incomes from agriculture and livestock, and limited development activities during the winter. Many of these districts also observed earlier crop losses in 2015 and 2016 due to insufficient rainfall and drought.