Situation Summary
- The total number of food insecure people across Nepal is estimated to be 3.7 million, this represents approximately 16.4% of the rural population. WFP Nepal is feeding 1.6 million people which has had a significant impact on reducing this figure.
- July—August is typically a period of heightened food insecurity across Nepal. This year's lean period was particularly severe in several areas of the country due to the 2008/09 winter drought which led to reduced household food stocks and in the worst affected areas household food shortages.
- During the coming months, short term food security should continue to improve across most of Nepal as the current harvest of summer crops (paddy, millet and maize) will be completed. However, the longer term outlook is that food security will decline within the next 6 months as summer crop production at a national level is expected to be generally weak. Poor summer crop production is the result of late plantation (caused by late monsoon rains) combined with erratic and generally low rainfall during the monsoon.
- Of the 476 households surveyed by WFP between July and September, summer crop losses of more than 30% have been experienced or are expected by more than 40% of households. Of critical concern is the situation in Bajura, Achham, Darchula, Jumla, Humla, Mugu, Dailekh, Rukum, and Taplejung where the main summer crops (paddy,millet and/or maize) have failed by 30-70% across multiple VDCs. Of additional concern are VDCs within Kalikot, Dolpa, Rolpa, Makwanpur, Sindhuli, Udayapur, and Panchthar where at least one crop has failed by 30-70%. These areas will face a critical food security situation from January onwards as the population affected is very high.
- Across Nepal the current food consumption of 40% of households which reported a poor summer harvest or poor production outlook is already of serious concern; about half of these households have inadequate levels of consumption. In addition, 25% of surveyed households with no crop loss also have below acceptable levels of consumption.
- Rising food prices are still an issue of key concern. The current government year-on-year food price inflation figure is 16.7%. Further price spikes for staple grains are expected in early 2010 due to recent large scale crop losses in South and Central Asia.
