Nepal
http://ochaonline.un.org/nepalHumanitarian needs in Nepal are largely the result of a decade-long conflict affecting an already vulnerable population. The signing of a peace agreement in 2006 may have ended hostilities, but the post-conflict period peace process has remained incomplete – hampered by a lack of infrastructure, weak institutional structures, a cultural legacy of discrimination, poor economic performance, geographic isolation and harsh weather conditions.
The conflict’s residual impact has weakened social safety nets causing a lack of basic services and reducing the purchasing power of families. Communities with a meagre resource-base and marginalized populations are pushed beyond emergency thresholds and need humanitarian assistance in response to external shocks. Rising food prices have had a severe impact on the eight million Nepalese living below or at the poverty line; and child malnutrition rates are among the worst in the world.
Nepal’s problems are not limited to social or political ills. It is located in a seismically active zone and is prone to earthquakes and environmental hazards including annual floods causing displacement in the lowlands.
The current coordination of assistance in Nepal is moving towards addressing development needs. Under the leadership of the Humanitarian Coordinator, OCHA and all humanitarian partners should ensure a responsible transition, requiring handing over of coordination responsibilities and support to national authorities. OCHA will also provide support to local partners to strengthen local response capacity and preparedness through contingency planning and simulation exercises. OCHA will continue to work with the national authorities to align response plans with the cluster approach, to ensure improved synergy between partners on the coordination and implementation of humanitarian activities.
OCHA Nepal has established good working relations with the Ministry of Home Affairs, participating in governmental disaster management structures at the central and district levels. In 2009, OCHA will help to build response capacity of national counterparts. This will include improving the in-country capacity for monitoring, assessment, vulnerability mapping and promotion of standards. Key partners include national and international NGOs from the Association of International NGOs, which currently has more than 80 members including United Nations Agencies, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the United Nations Mission in Nepal and the Disaster Preparedness Network, including the National Society for Earthquake Technology.
The technical capacity of OCHA’s information management unit provides support to advocacy and the coordination of humanitarian issues. This includes monitoring violations of the Basic Operating Guidelines (humanitarian principles and operational space), mapping hazards, vulnerability and risk, security incidents and trends. Use of standard OCHA tools and visual representation of key data will continue to enhance coordination activities.
OCHA Nepal will maintain sub-offices in Biratnagar and Nepalganj facilitating local information gathering and sharing as well as coordination and advocacy activities to improve operational space, protection of internally displaced persons and disaster preparedness.
Key Objectives, Outputs and Indicators
