Over one million Nepalese facing food insecurity: UN

Over one million people in earthquake-hit Nepal face the risk of food insecurity and need emergency aid, a UN spokesman says.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has appealed for USD 23 million to tackle the risk of prolonged food insecurity in Nepal's six hardest-hit regions, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Friday.

He stressed that the FAO has called for urgent assistance to help Nepal’s farmers recover from earthquake, where over 50 percent of them are suffering from loss of their stored crops of rice, maize, wheat and millet.

On April 25, the Asian country was rocked by an 8.1-magnitude earthquake. The devastating quake was followed by aftershocks in the following days, but one measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale hit the country on May 12.

Nearly 9,000 people were killed and many others were injured or displaced. Official figures said over one million Nepalese were pushed below the poverty line following the earthquakes.

"Agriculture is a critical priority because two-thirds of Nepalese depend on farming for their livelihoods," said FAO Representative in Nepal Somsak Pipoppinyo.

Referring to the fact that the FAO has received only USD 3 million (13 percent) of the USD 23.4 million emergency aid appealed for, he said that "We only have a limited window to act."

The most urgent needs for the current cropping season are seeds and fertilizers, followed by irrigation, tools and technical support, according to an FAO-led Agricultural Livelihood Impact Appraisal.

It also found that nearly 16 percent of cattle and 36 percent of poultry were lost in the devastating earthquakes, adversely affecting rural household consumption and income.

According to the UN, the earthquakes have affected more than a quarter of Nepal’s 28 million people.

MRA/NN/HRB

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