FAO Launches Emergency Response Plan to Address Food Insecurity in Sudan
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has taken swift action to tackle the escalating food insecurity crisis in Sudan. Launching an Emergency Livelihood Response Plan, FAO aims to provide the necessary tools and support to farming, herding, and fishing communities by distributing emergency seeds, livestock treatment kits, and veterinary and fisheries resources.
This plan builds upon FAO’s prior efforts to address the extreme vulnerabilities caused by the ongoing conflict that has heavily impacted small-scale farming, herding, and fishing communities. Additionally, it complements FAO’s recent emergency seed distribution campaign, which played a crucial role in maximizing cereal production, preserving assets, and promoting seed diversification. The projected increase in cereal production is expected to meet the needs of approximately 13 to 19 million individuals for the upcoming 2023 harvest.
Hongjie Yang, the FAO Representative in Sudan, emphasized the severity of the situation, stating, Millions of people across Sudan are facing a battle for survival as the food security crisis worsens. The emergency response plan aims to provide essential resources to farming, herding, and fishing families, enabling them to maintain production and sustain themselves and their communities.
Under this comprehensive plan, which aims to assist a total of 10.1 million people, vulnerable households will receive certified quality seeds suitable for both summer and winter seasons. An array of crops such as cowpea, groundnut, millet, okra, and sorghum for the summer season will be provided, while the winter season will see the distribution of chickpea, cucumber, pigeon pea, tomato, and watermelon seeds. Moreover, these households will receive training on adopting better agricultural practices to enhance post-harvest handling of farm commodities.
The plan also caters to vulnerable individuals who have lost productive assets by supporting them with animal restocking. This initiative will quickly improve food security and nutrition, enabling herders to produce 4 to 5 liters of milk per day.
In a conflict-ridden environment, FAO’s plan recognizes the importance of protecting livestock. Mass vaccination campaigns will be implemented to safeguard 6 million sheep, goats, and cattle against prevalent and devastating diseases, including peste des petits ruminants, sheep and goat pox, and foot-and-mouth disease.
Recognizing the significance of fishing communities, FAO aims to assist 50,000 people, including 10,000 fishing households, with fishing inputs and related training. This support ensures steady access to high-quality, protein-rich foods, strengthening local economies.
To deliver assistance to the most vulnerable farming and livestock herding households, FAO will combine unconditional cash assistance and livelihood input packages, including seeds, tools, and other essentials, alongside training programs. This approach acknowledges the challenges faced by rainfed agriculture during the dry season, which spans from November to May. During this period, farmers grapple with a hunger gap, while herding communities face water scarcity, depleting pastures, and weakened animal health, causing economic strain and reduced food consumption.
FAO estimates that an investment of $123 million will be required to implement the plan over the next 12 months and reach targeted farmers, herders, and fishers in Sudan’s most food-insecure states. FAO highlighted the severity of the escalating food crisis in Sudan, with over 20.3 million people, representing over 42 percent of the population, experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity between July and September 2023, nearly double the figure from May 2022. Among them, nearly 14 million people currently face Crisis levels of acute hunger, while almost 6.3 million people are in Emergency levels.
The ongoing violence in Sudan has resulted in the displacement of over 3.8 million people within the country and forced more than 960,000 individuals to seek refuge in neighboring nations.
The FAO’s Emergency Livelihood Response Plan is a necessary step towards mitigating the food security crisis in Sudan, providing immediate relief and essential support to ensure the well-being of vulnerable communities. With proper funding and implementation, this plan aims to restore stability and help millions of people secure their livelihoods and food access in the face of ongoing challenges.
