Drought, instability worsen food insecurity in Sudan

At least five million Sudanese will probably face varied levels of acute food insecurity until September. Expected poor rainfall and another bad main harvest will most likely worsen the situation. The number and severity of the food-insecure population in Sudan may increase considerably in 2015. The below-average harvest during the last agricultural season, excessively high prices, and prevailing insecurity conditions in Darfur, South Kordofan, and the Blue Nile, have exacerbated food insecurity in Sudan this year, according to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) in its monthly report for June. Prices, insecurity Staple food prices remained significantly higher than average. Between April and May, sorghum prices increased between 5 and 20 percent in most markets. Current sorghum prices across the country are on average 73 percent higher than last year, and 135 percent above the five-year average. They are likely to increase by an additional 10 to 15 percent through September, FEWS NET predicts. Newly displaced in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile are likely to miss cultivation this year due to insecurity, a lack of access to land, and agricultural inputs. In South and North Darfur, there are considerable seed shortages, a FEWS NET rapid assessment revealed. The deficits are due to the below-average harvests last season, seed losses as a result of forced displacement, sharp increases of cereal and cash crop prices, and reduced seed distributions from humanitarian agencies and the government. Poor rainfall, locusts The June-September forecast for Sudan projects average to below-average rainfall in the southern part of the country. As of the second half of June, cumulative rainfall was below-average in most parts of eastern and western Sudan, and yet to begin in northern parts of the country. Reports warn that adult locusts may start moving from along the River Nile and the Red Sea State, as well as from Saudi Arabia and eastern Ethiopia, into summer breeding areas in Sudan during the agricultural season, posing a high risk of crop damage. Outlook In Darfur, food insecurity is likely to persist at least among 30 percent of the displaced and resident communities, as households are still experiencing the impact of last year’s drought, and the above-average increase of food prices. Populations who do not receive food assistance in Darfur are likely to face food insecurity at crisis level, FEWS NET predicts. Crisis and emergency food insecurity is likely to persist at least among 40 percent of the displaced and poor host communities in SPLM-N controlled areas of South Kordofan, while at least 25 percent of the displaced in SPLM-N controlled areas of Blue Nile State are likely to face food insecurity at crisis level. In the government-controlled areas of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, where even the most vulnerable households have relatively better access to livelihood opportunities, markets, and humanitarian assistance compared to those in SPLM-N-controlled areas, most households are likely to face “stressed food insecurity” through September 2014. File photo: Near-term acute food insecurity phases for Sudan. Yellow indicates “stressed food insecurity”, orange stands for a crisis, and red indicates an emergency (FEWS NET)