 |
|
|
|
 |
| USAID Information:
External Links:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nepal
EXAMPLES OF OUR IMPACT
- Neonatal and infant mortality rates have fallen from 33 to 20 deaths per 1,000 live births, and 48 to 41 deaths per 1,000 live births, respectively, since 2006.
- USAID helped more than 80,000 households adopt improved agricultural technology and access markets, increasing incomes by 50 percent.
- USAID has contributed to a 52 percent reduction in under-five mortality since 1996.
USAID/NEPAL SITE
nepal.usaid.gov
CONTACTS
Mission Director
Kevin A. Rushing, D.V.M.
USAID/Kathmandu
DOS/USAID
6190 Kathmandu Place
Washington DC 20521-6190
Tel: 977-1-400-7200
Acting Desk Officer
Amy Paro
Office of South and Central Asia Affairs
Tel: (202) 712-1068
Email: aparo@usaid.gov
USAID’s vocational education program trains disadvantaged and conflict-affected youth. As training is tailored to meet market demands, more than 80 percent of the trainees are employed upon graduation. (Photo: Bijay Gajmer) Overview
Nepal’s decade-long insurgency ended three years ago, with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. The leading political parties now have the challenge of delivering on that agreement by drafting a new constitution. With ongoing changes in government leadership, interest groups are jostling for power by organizing nationwide strikes and blocking government functions. Maoist splinter groups and other armed groups will likely continue to pursue political gain through low-level, but sustained, violence.
Even with remarkable improvements over the past few decades, Nepal remains one of the poorest countries in the world, with an estimated 55 percent of Nepalese falling below the international poverty line ($1.25 per day). Recent severe drought and unreliable monsoon rains have led to acute food shortages and the highest levels of hunger in 40 years.
USAID programs seek to cement recent gains in peace and security, stabilize the transitional government, strengthen the delivery of essential social services, and address the global challenges of food insecurity and climate change. In each of these areas, there is a special focus on supporting Nepal's youth and socially disadvantaged populations, which are critical to sustaining peace.
Programs
Peace and Security
USAID programs support Nepal’s national and local peace-building initiatives by providing expert advice and facilitating dialogue and cooperation among political parties. This has had a direct bearing on the progress of the peace process. At the local level, USAID is bringing together communities, civil society, and government to repair damaged infrastructure, strengthen governance, and encourage dialogue about development priorities and the peace process. USAID also continues to work closely with the Ministry of Peace and Reconciliation to support Local Peace Committees in all 75 districts to resolve community conflict in a peaceful, productive manner.
Governing Justly and Democratically
USAID provides technical assistance to constitution-drafting committees, strengthens political parties and civil society organizations, builds institutional capacity of the judiciary and election commission, promotes alternative dispute resolution, and facilitates more involvement of women in the political process. These activities aim to bring Nepal closer to an effective, responsive, and democratic constitutional government. USAID supports local government and community-based organizations to engage youth in efforts to improve governance and to ensure basic service delivery at the local level, especially in conflict-prone areas where government remains weak or absent.
Investing In People: Health
As a key partner in the Nepalese government’s health sector, USAID continues to demonstrate outstanding technical leadership, significantly contributing to considerable progress in helping control HIV/AIDS prevalence, improving maternal and child health, and increasing access to family planning.
USAID has piloted new approaches, documented their success, and coordinated their incorporation into the national health system for scale-up. For the first time ever, community health workers outside a clinic setting are treating newborn infections. This community-based approach will enable the Government of Nepal to deliver this needed service in rural and remote areas, thereby saving thousands of newborn lives. USAID continues to support decentralization and community involvement in governance of health services.
Economic Growth
Strategically targeted activities are improving the income-generating potential of the poorest of the poor and stabilizing conflict-prone regions. USAID works to rebuild the livelihoods of flood-affected people, expand youth’s access to jobs, and increase farmers’ incomes. The flood recovery program provides an integrated package of flood recovery assistance, including community infrastructure projects and new agriculture technologies.
USAID also supports a multifaceted “education for income generation” program that trains disadvantaged and conflict-affected youth for employment. This program responds to a root cause of conflict: exclusion of disadvantaged and rural youth from relevant education, training, and employment opportunities. Up to 70,000 youth will graduate and secure gainful employment by 2012. Building upon recently completed activities focused on agriculture development and natural resources management, USAID is developing new programs that provide an integrated and comprehensive approach to poverty, food insecurity, and climate change.
Back to Top ^
|
