National Food Security: Govt, WFP sign NeKSAP pact

KATHMANDU, OCT 05 -

The World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday signed an agreement with the National Planning Commission (NPC) and the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD) to transfer and institutionalise the national food security monitoring system under the ownership of the government.

The Nepal Food Security Monitoring System, popularly known as Nepal Khadya Surakshya Anugaman Pranali (NeKSAP), has the primary objective of collecting, consolidating and analysing food security data to be used by decision makers, allowing them to take coordinated and timely action to alleviate food insecurity in the country. Established by WFP in 2002, NeKSAP is currently managed in collaboration with the MoAD.

“NeKSAP has evolved over time based on strong collaboration between various national institutions,” said WFP Deputy Country Director, Nicolas Oberlin. “The new agreement will further strengthen the system and enhance the capacity of the Government of Nepal to design evidence-based food security policies and programmes to tackle food insecurity in the country.”

NeKSAP collects and analyses food security data and disseminates information from across the country, covering household food security, emerging crises, food markets, agricultural production and nutrition.

District Food Security Networks (DFSNs), established in 72 of the 75 districts of Nepal, are at the core of NeKSAP, comprising officials and representatives from district-based government agencies, development partners such as NGOs and UN agencies, as well as civil society. The DFSNs assess and monitor the food security situation in the respective districts using a standardised food security phase classification approach.

The WFP is providing technical and financial support to the government, with financial assistance from the European Union. The hand-over process will be implemented gradually to ensure full ownership of NeKSAP by the government of Nepal by 2016.

Source: The Kathmandu Post