MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th August, 2021) The United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday that it had received an additional 788,000 Pounds ($1 million) from the British government toward nutritional support of 100,000 Nepalese mothers and children during the monsoon season.
"The WFP welcomed today an additional contribution of �788,000 (NPR 130 million) from the Government of the United Kingdom towards its nutrition support for vulnerable families in Nepal," the UN's food assistance arm said in a release.
The donation adds to the 4.49 million pounds that the WFP received from the United Kingdom in December 2020 in COVID-19 assistance. It comes at a time when the livelihoods of Nepalis have been interrupted by monsoon flooding and the socio-economic effects of COVID-19, aggravating food insecurity and malnutrition in the South Asian country.
"Natural hazards affect marginalized communities disproportionately, including women and children. Protecting the health of the Nepali people is a top UK priority. The UK is glad to be supporting WFP's efforts to make sure vulnerable Nepalis, especially mothers and children, receive proper food and nutrition," Development Director at the British embassy in Kathmandu, Nathanael Bevan, said.
The funding covers two months' worth of supply of Super Cereal � "a specialized nutritional product that helps prevent malnutrition" � to more than 100,000 mothers and children across eight Nepali regions, the WFP said. Part of it will be spent on conducting new household food security surveys in Nepal, and information campaigns on nutrition and COVID-19 among Nepalese mothers.
Nepal, one of the most disaster-prone countries globally, is annually affected by floods, landslides, and other natural disasters, affecting tens of thousands of people. Over 15% of Nepalese households are food-insecure, and roughly 39% of children from 6 to 23 months cannot reach the minimum nutritional needs. COVID-19 is a further obstacle for women and children in receiving adequate and nutritious food.
