$104 million in assistance needed for Nepal in 2008

(New York: 10 January 2008): The United Nations launched an appeal last week requesting over $104 million in support of humanitarian, early recovery and development activities in Nepal in 2008. The Common Appeal for Transition Support (CATS) for 2008 contains 61 projects that will address urgent needs in food and nutrition, protection, health, disaster preparedness and response. It will also allow aid workers to assist internally displaced populations, refugees and children affected by armed conflict.

Nepal is a country in transition, slowly emerging from a conflict lasting for more than a decade that displaced up to 70,000 people. Even though the conflict officially ended in November 2006 when the Government of Nepal and the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist) signed a comprehensive peace agreement, bombings, killings, abductions, demands for ransom and other forms of threats aimed at political opponents and civilian populations continue to hinder the ability of the state to deliver basic services in the country.

Recent studies conducted by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) indicate that only 39% of the country's population have access to adequate toilet facilities, while 50-70% of the drinking water is contaminated in many districts of the country. In addition, the global acute malnutrition rates hover around 13%, with children being the most affected group, especially in the hill areas where over 65% of children are stunted and almost 50% are underweight. Moreover, the country also hosts some 107,000 Bhutanese refugees, who also require humanitarian assistance.

Relief, recovery and development interventions span several sectors including food security and nutrition, protection, preparedness and rapid response to natural disasters and health emergencies, mine action, and coordination. Assistance to refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and children affected by armed conflict will also be a focus of aid activities in 2008, with nearly $29 million, or 27.5% of the total requested, intended for these groups.

Nepal is also prone to disasters, which are likely to become more frequent in the future due to climate change. Last year, floods and landslides affected over 60% of the country and displaced more than 70,000 people. Meanwhile, almost half a million people remain food insecure as a result of drought and other seasonal disasters.

In 2007, donors contributed some $72.6 million, or 71.8% of the total requested in the CATS 2007 for Nepal. It was a well-appreciated response by donors, who remain aware of the humanitarian challenges still prevailing in the country.

The CATS is an action plan developed by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) in Nepal with the participation of relief partners on the ground. The plan presents the strategic priorities for the relief and recovery action in 2008. It will be revised in mid-2008 in response to the evolution of the humanitarian and socio-political situation in Nepal.

Contacts:

OCHA Geneva
Elizabeth Byrs
byrs@un.org
+4122 917 26 53
mobile +41 79 473 4570

OCHA New York
Stephanie Bunker
bunker@un.org
mobile +1 917 892 1679