04.05.10
I'm in a WFP car on my way to an IASC Operational meeting, that this time will be chaired by Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA). I am attending as representative for the Food Security Cluster, and briefing my colleague on our speaking points during the drive.
We arrive at at huge compound where most of Nepal's ministries are located and find our way to the conference room. Our driver will be waiting for us for the two hours the meeting will last, where we amongst other things will be discussing the lessons learned from a recently held pre-monsoon workshop - MoHA will be presenting the outcome of the workshop. I'm excited about the meeting since I was ill at the time of the workshop and could not attend. You haven't had a classic Nepali experience unless you've been ill at least once.
Passed around during the meeting is an overview of the recommendations or the output from the workshop – a joint effort of all participants which included I/NGOs, UN organisations, Nepalese development organisations and representatives from the ministries. It's a very comprehensive overview outlining preparedness activities that the ministry will undertake over the next period of time in order to become better prepared for floodings. The experience from the 2008 Koshi floodings was unfortunately that the response was chaotic and uncoordinated and all actors are interested in preparing better for the next eventuel flood emergency.
The meeting is over and I'm back at the office. I draw up some of the essential points from the meeting, including the points I presented as an update from the Food Security Cluster as part of sharing information within the Cluster. The meeting chaired by MoHA was a step in the direction that the Humanitarian Country Team (all Clusters activated in Nepal plus I/NGOs and a variety of local organisations) is heading at, where the relevant line ministries are co-chairing Cluster meetings along with the lead agency.
Things are changing on the humanitarian scene in Nepal. We are no longer in the immediate phase of an emergency, where the Clusters first were established, but have moved towards a greater focus of addressing issues in from a longer term perspective. For the Food Security Cluster that means focusing on food security, agricultural development and strengthening of livelihoods in a long term perspective, along with a continued focus on emergency preparedness and response. I have been part of this process by revising the TOR for the Cluster, and am excited to soon circulate it within the Cluster for the member's comments.
After I've finalised my update from the meeting to the Cluster members, I turn to another part of my daily tasks. WFP for the Food Security Cluster is in the midst of finalising the revisions of our contingency plan focusing on the scenario of a major earthquake in the Kathmandu Valley. I receive an e-mail from my colleague in logistics answering my questions on our options for stock prepositioning food in case of an emergency, shelf life of different products, procurement options and lead time for starting an actual food distribution. All these details feed into the operational part of the contingency plan.
By invitation from the Emergency Health and Nutrition working group, I am later this week attending their workshop focusing on revising their contingency plan. Hopefully we can become inspired by their approach to the workshop and at the same time I will be discussing possible collaboration with the working group on areas where our efforts supplement each other.
It is becoming dark outside, I look at the clock and realise it's 6.30 PM and time to go home before night fall. It's been a good and yet another interesting day at the country office of WFP Nepal.
