WFP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific - 2016 SPRs RBB 2016 SPRs by country | Page 448

Standard Project Report 2016
of Home Affairs in capacity augmentation to respond to seismic events through developing the humanitarian staging
area launched in early 2015. It proved to be a vital example of preparedness when the earthquake struck in April
2015. To further support with resilience and disaster mitigation, WFP has designed the second phase of emergency
preparedness and capacity development initiative that builds upon the 2013-2015 emergency preparedness project,
to sustainably enhance national-level emergency logistics capacities to respond to future emergencies.
In 2016, the Government prioritised the need to explore the possibilities of rice fortification as one of the best
nutrition interventions for Nepal in the long term, and requested WFP's support to carry out a landscape analysis for
a potential rice fortification initiative. This landscape analysis assessed the current capacity of the Government and
the private sector to implement the necessary activities in the recommended roadmap towards rice fortification in
the country. In the longer term, fortified rice is expected to be used as a part of food assistance packages in various
social safety net programmes across the nation. The Government's high-level advisory committee is expected to
provide their feedback to the recommendations.
The Government established the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) to lead and coordinate the reconstruction
and recovery plans of the humanitarian response to the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck the country in April
2015. However, lengthy bureaucratic procedures and government changes in mid-2016 affected the pace of
progress. Starkly visible was the slow progress in the disbursements of grants to the affected people for rebuilding
earthquake-damaged homes, which took nearly a year to begin. Despite the slow progress, the major earthquake
disaster has paved the way for the Government to explore the possibility of linking existing social safety nets as
responsive instruments for disasters, as evidenced by the linkage of various line Ministries to the NRA and the
Ministry of Home Affairs for the recovery.
Several plans and strategies of the Government of Nepal have laid the framework for assistance and
implementation of the development agenda for the United Nations and other development partners, in particular, the
Multi-Sector Nutrition Plan, Nepal Education Act and the School Sector Development Plan (2016-2022) as well as
the Agricultural Development Strategy. The United Nations Development Assistance Framework (2013-2017) for
Nepal, developed in close consultation with national agencies, supports the Government in the development
process. Coordination with the Government is primarily through the National Planning Commission and other
government agencies, while steering committees meet regularly to coordinate the development agenda among all
stakeholders.
References:
[13] Department of Education—Government Flash Report-1, 2014.
Summary of WFP Operational Objectives
WFP has two ongoing projects that serve Bhutanese refugees in Nepal: the country programme (CP) 200319 and
the protracted relief and recovery operation (PRRO) 200787. These projects aim to prevent undernutrition and
enable year-round access to food for vulnerable groups, including pregnant and lactating women and young
children. They directly contribute to four of the five pillars of the Zero Hunger Challenge. The CP, lasting from
2013-2017, is implemented in the mid- and far-western region (MFWR) districts and is aligned with the United
Nations Development Assistance Framework and the Country Programme Action Plan signed with the Ministry of
Finance.
Through PRRO 200787, WFP supports Bhutanese refugees in Nepal with food assistance. The project is
implemented in partnership with the Government and mainly the United Nations High Commission for Refugees
(UNHCR). Together with the Government and UNHCR, WFP started a targeted, needs-based food distribution
system in January 2016 in light of gradually declining numbers of people in refugee camps.
Having launched humanitarian operations to support the populations affected by the major earthquakes that hit
Nepal in 2015, WFP continued its emergency operation (EMOP) 200668 until January 2016 and the logistics cluster
and telecommunication services special operation (SO) 200848 until April 2016 to address remaining needs in
promoting household food security and delivery of food and supplies to high mountainous locations. The earthquake
in April 2015 caused almost 9,000 deaths and widespread damage to infrastructure, and the scale of the response
required regional augmentation of capacity and resources. As a follow-up to the EMOP, WFP launched PRRO
200875 to support the rehabilitation of the three earthquake-affected districts—Gorkha, Dhading and Nuwakot. As
the planned rural community in