WFP, Government Of Nepal And The EU Mark The Start Of Construction Of A New Humanitarian Staging Area

The hub in Pokhara, funded by the European Union and managed by WFP in close cooperation with the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal and the Ministry of Home Affairs, is the last of the twelve staging facilities built to support provincial and national emergency response operations across the country.

Once completed, each of the seven provinces will be equipped with their own staging area, thereby forming a network to improve storage and transport of relief goods to remote locations during emergencies and crises. 

The decision to construct a provincial staging area in Pokhara follows the success of the UK-funded Kathmandu hub, which was launched one month before the devastating 2015 earthquake as the central humanitarian hub for emergency preparedness and response. The timely activation of the facility saved 21 days in response time, facilitating a faster delivery of relief supplies to those in desperate need.

The ceremony took place at the Pokhara airport and was attended by Basudev Ghimire, Chief District Officer, Kaski district together with senior officials from WFP.

WFP has been supporting the Government of Nepal since 2013 to build a national network of humanitarian staging areas to strengthen emergency preparedness and response capacities across the country.