A joint UN assessment report released on Monday states there has been improvements in food security since the April 2015 Gorkha earthquake. The report, however, says the food insecurity still persists in some communities, particularly Dalit and single female-headed households.

According to the assessment report, the vulnerable communities that fall below food consumption threshold include one-third of Dalit households and 21.3 percent Janajati households followed by 6.8 percent of Brahmin/Chhetri households.

Single female-headed households are more vulnerable to food insecurity following the earthquake as affected districts have high rates of male migration, according to the report.

The report was prepared on the basis of assessment conducted on agriculture, early recovery, food security and livelihoods jointly by United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

“The assessment shows a significant improvement across food security since the 2015 earthquake. This has been attributed to the levels of humanitarian assistance received, the start of the summer harvest, and the restoration of access to markets and improvements to their general functionality,” the report stated.

The study surveyed more than 4,000 households in 11 earthquake-affected districts in Nepal from September to October 2015.

The findings are expected to help identify priority areas for Nepal’s development partners, in their effort to ultimately promote a more resilient Nepal.

WFP, FAO and UNDP will work together with the Government of Nepal, including the newly established National Reconstruction Authority, on post-earthquake recovery work.

The Joint Assessment was conducted in Dhadhing, Dolakha, Gorkha, Kavrepalanchok, Makhwanpur, Nuwakot, Okhaldhunga, Ramechap, Rasuwa, Sinduli and Sindupalchok districts.