The world has enough wealth and resources to ensure that the entire human race enjoys a basic standard of living. Yet people living in countries like the Central African Republic, Burundi, or the Democratic Republic of the Congo – the three poorest in the world – continue to live in desperate poverty.
Along with Afghanistan, Nepal is one of only two Asian countries to rank among the world’s poorest. In Nepal, 2015 to 2017 post-earthquake relief of AMURT, the assessment shows that food insecurity is a major issue in the mountain districts. In March 2016, the District Food Security Network (DFSN) classified 134 VDCs in 11 districts as highly food insecure (Phase 3) and estimated that roughly 300,000 people were highly food insecure and required humanitarian assistance. Between mid-March to mid-July 2016 the food security became worse due to seasonality, weather events, crop production decrease, and the continuing impacts of the April-May 2015 earthquakes.
Specific challenges in Sindhupalchowk district:
These challenges were identified in the meetings with the DFSN officer, through a household survey and water resource assessment, and in meetings with AMURT’s community outreach team:
- Many people have high outstanding debts with low income. According to DFSN’s November 2015 report (page 34), the average income in Sindhupalchowk district is 9,204 NPR/month (US$ 84.00) and 79% of households are holding a debt-income ratio of 24:1 (220,895 NPR – US$ 2,016.00).
- There are no collection places for salable goods nor storage facilities for perishable items. Post-harvest loss of fruits, root crops, and vegetables is alarming and ranges between 20-50%.
- There has been a shortage of water since the earthquake because the commonly used spring water routes got broken and re-routed to other places.
- Households with small landholdings or few cattle are unable to produce enough crops, vegetables, or milk to reach the minimum transport quantity for the main markets due to poor management and low output.
- Employment is scarce, low-paid, insecure, or seasonal, which is also a function of vulnerability.
- There are no nearby food markets beside small shops for the people in Attarpur, Pangretar, and Tekanpur hill area.
Ensuring food security is one of the first steps for the poor to come out from the entanglements of poverty, thereby improving their living standard.
“Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”
By Rasatmakananda
