€12.5 million from EU for sorghum in Sudan

The European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department has contributed €12.5 million to the World Food Programme (WFP). The United Nations programme plans to use the bulk of the contribution to provide sorghum to more than 100,000 displaced people in Darfur for several months. "More than 5 million Sudanese are in need of urgent assistance," the European Commission said.

Sorghum is a staple food in Sudan. WFP plans to provide the grain to 137,000 displaced Darfuris for three months with €10.5 million of the contribution, along with pulses for more than 180,000 South Sudanese refugees for six months. WFP will also use part of the contribution to support 88,200 displaced people across Darfur with cash-based transfers in the form of food vouchers for three months.

Out of the contribution, €2 million will be used to support the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) in Sudan; which provides an essential service to the humanitarian community in Sudan.

“We are grateful to the European Commission for these timely contributions that will allow WFP to fulfil its obligation towards those vulnerable groups who are in need of assistance,” said WFP Representative and Country Director Adnan Khan. “The contribution will also allow us to support WFP-operated humanitarian air service that is indispensable to aid workers serving the vulnerable people in remote locations across Sudan.”

During the last two years the European Commission contributed €26.6 million to WFP Sudan operations, enabling the provision of much-needed food assistance to the most vulnerable and food- insecure people across the country, covering cash- based transfers, nutrition programmes and general food distribution in Darfur region and in the states of, Kassala, Red Sea and White Nile. Since 2011, the Commission has contributed a total of €177 million to UNHAS, enabling it to continue serving the humanitarian community in the most efficient, safe and reliable manner.

“The humanitarian situation in many parts of Sudan is critical, as recent population displacements in Darfur and a surge of arrivals from South Sudan illustrate,” said Director of Operations in the European Commission's Humanitarian and Civil Protection department Jean-Louis De Brouwer. “More than 5 million people are in need of urgent assistance. Our support to WFP will help humanitarian workers to reach the malnourished and uprooted populations and alleviate their most pressing needs. We are committed to continue providing needs-based humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable people in Sudan.”

The WFP operation in Sudan remains one of the agency’s largest and most complex, providing food assistance to vulnerable people in Darfur and other food-insecure groups in the east and border areas to the south.

In 2016, WFP plans to assist 4.6 million vulnerable people in Sudan through a number of activities which include general food distribution, school meals, a nutrition programme and food assistance for assets and for training.