Nepal
+++ A severe earthquake in north-western Nepal on the night of November 3 left at least 158 people dead and many more injured. Almost 40,000 households have been affected by the disaster. Aftershocks are to be expected. The people in the severely affected regions of Jajarkot and Rukum now urgently need clean water, food, safe shelter and medical care. Together with its Alliance2015 partner organizations, Welthungerhilfe is sending relief supplies such as mattresses, tarpaulins and water filters to the affected population. +++ Overall, Nepal has made progress in poverty reduction, but there is great inequality between different regions and population groups. Due to low usage of improved farming techniques, Nepal’s agricultural productivity is among the lowest in South Asia. Whilst the nutrition situation has generally improved, malnutrition remains a serious obstacle to the growth and development of children. Many die from diarrheal diseases caused by dirty water and poor sanitation every year. The situation is further deteriorated by the damages due to the strong earthquakes in 2015, the floods in 2017 and the coronavirus pandemic.