Nepal country strategic plan (2019-2023)

CSP approved at EB.2/2018

Revision 01 approved by the CD in October 2019.

Revision 02 approved by the CD in March 2020.

Revision 03 approved by the ED in January 2021.

Revision 04 approved by the RD in December 2021.

Revision 05 approved by the CD in September 2022.

In spite of significant progress in reducing poverty over the last two decades, geographic and socioeconomic exclusion continue to limit opportunities for disadvantaged groups. A long period of political transition, with 27 governments in the past 28 years, and frequent natural disasters have impeded achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. A zero hunger strategic review in 2017–2018 highlighted serious food insecurity and malnutrition and outlined recommendations to address them.

Nepal’s 2015 constitution restructured the country as a federal democratic republic, starting a new era and providing an opportunity for progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Every citizen's right to food is enshrined in the Right to Food Act. The aim is to include Strategic Development Goal 2 targets in national policies, budgets and subnational plans and hence improve the coherence of related actions in targeted areas.

WFP’s country strategic plan reflects the zero hunger strategic review recommendations to achieve zero hunger by 2030: it is designed to align with the new federal structure and the constitutional right to food. The country strategic plan has five related strategic outcomes addressing Strategic Development Goals 2 and 17:

• Strategic outcome 1: Affected populations in Nepal have timely access to adequate food and nutrition during and in the aftermath of natural disasters and other shocks.
• Strategic outcome 2: Food-insecure people in targeted areas have improved nutrition throughout the key stages of their lives by 2025.
• Strategic outcome 3: Vulnerable communities in remote food-insecure areas have improved food security and resilience to climate and other shocks by 2030.
• Strategic outcome 4: The Government has strengthened capabilities to provide essential food security and nutrition services and respond to crises by 2023.
• Strategic outcome 5: Government efforts towards achieving zero hunger by 2030 are supported by inclusive and coherent policy frameworks across all spheres of government by 2023.

This country strategic plan provides support for the Government in its work to achieve the Strategic Development Goals. WFP expects to shift from direct implementation of food security and nutrition programmes to more specialized technical assistance to the Government and for national programmes. In view of Nepal's vulnerability to natural disasters, emergency preparedness and response will be a WFP focus; no activities are currently required under strategic outcome 1, but it is included to provide for future responses if necessary. The Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens was consulted on support for women’s empowerment through Strategic Development Goal 2 interventions.

The country strategic plan is guided by the zero hunger strategic review and is aligned with the United Nations development assistance framework for Nepal for 2018–2022, the 2015–2035 agricultural development strategy, the 2016–2025 national action plan for zero hunger, the multi-sector nutrition plan for 2018–2022 (MSNP II), the 2016–2023 school sector development plan and the 14th three-year plan, covering 2017–2019.