WFP and UNFPA provide critical food aid and medical care to drought victims

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have jointly provided essential food aid and reproductive health care to hundreds of drought-affected families in Mugu and Humla districts.

A press release issued by the WFP said, in response to WFP field monitors reporting a high prevalence of illnesses among families in the district, WFP requested UNFPA to conduct mobile reproductive health clinics during planned WFP food distributions in the area.

“WFP’s role in distributing food aid to drought-affected communities is clearly essential in order to save lives. However, by combining WFP’s food aid with UNFPA reproductive health and preventative care services, we have been able to not only reduce deaths among the poorest in Nepal, but greatly improve the quality of their lives,” the statement quoted WFP’s Country Representative, Richard Ragan as saying.

“We were very pleased to receive this request from WFP and immediately organized a three day reproductive health camp for the people of Mugu and Humla,” said Junko Sazaki, UNFPA Representative to Nepal.

During the dawn to dusk health clinics, medical staff treated nearly 2000 people with half of the service users being female. Health workers provided antenatal and postnatal care, treatments for sexually transmitted infection, urinary tract infections, infertility as well as for common illnesses such as dysentery, gastritis, asthma, and malnutrition. Health workers also provided treatments to women with prolapsed uterus, one of the major reproductive health concerns in Nepal.

Lalmaya Nepali of Natharpu village development committee said, “This joint activity provided a rare opportunity to obtain check ups and treat our whole family and at the same time we were able to receive much needed food. I have never seen such programme in the past. I hope it continues.”

WFP’s efforts to distribute food to over 225,000 drought-affected people in 10 districts of Mid- and Far-Western Nepal are expected to continue next week, with Jumla and Humla as the next target districts. WFP and UNFPA wish to continue their joint relief actions, the statement added. nepalnews.com pb Oct 26 06