Highlights
· Aiming to reach 1.15 million people for the structured relief phase of its operation, WFP has so far assisted 707,000 people with food and nutrition support. Of the total assisted people, over 42,000 have been reached through cash for assets. WFP has so far injected US$657,000 into the local economy, further strengthening and reinvigorating the markets.
· WFP’s cash for assets programme began the first distributions in Sindhuli on 12 July, where cash programme participants had already completed ten days of light work, such as debris removal and trail clearance, as well as constructing public facilities such as drinking water pipes and latrines. As the affected communities recover from the twin earthquakes, the cash programme will transition into more robust community infrastructure and livelihood rehabilitation activities such as the reconstruction of agricultural infrastructure and rural roads.
· Pivotal to market recovery, WFP’s remote access operations (RAO), as part of the wider logistics common service, complements the cash for assets programme. Following the earthquake, physical access to markets was severely constrained due to damaged trails, roads and other infrastructure. WFP’s RAO seeks to open up the trails in order to re-establish trade and market activity, while bringing much-needed food and supplies. Through the cash for assets programme, participants now have the purchasing power to buy food items, among other necessities. Integrating the RAO together with the cash based asset creation activities allows people to physically access markets while providing them with the means to purchase what they need.
· To support the recovery of the health sector, WFP continues to construct temporary health clinics to support communities whose medical facilities have been damaged or destroyed by the earthquake, or those that are now isolated due to landslides. Twelve clinics have already been completed.
· WFP has received generous contributions from many donors, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, ECHO, Germany, Japan, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Norway, United Kingdom, United States, UN CERF and private donors.