South Kordofan displaced hit hard by price hikes

The millions of displaced Sudanese are among the worst affected by the food price hikes in the country.

One of the “most vulnerable” groups is 13,914 displaced from Abu Kershola and El Abbasiya in South Kordofan who sought refuge in North Kordofan’s Um Ruwaba locality from 2013 onwards.

They say that prices for some grains in the market have almost doubled compared to the same period last year and they are struggling to meet their needs. They do not have an extended support network, lack livestock and other assets, and are not able to find regular jobs, secure income, or livelihoods, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan reported in its latest weekly bulletin.

The Sudanese NGO El Salam Organisation for Rehabilitation and Development (AORD) said that the Nuba displaced lack access to basic services, water, health, education, and face chronic food insecurity and poverty.

Moreover, their protracted displacement has led to the breakdown of traditional social support structures and long-established protective mechanisms, with gender-specific protection needs being high.

While international aid organisations provided these displaced with limited assistance in 2014, they did not receive any assistance in 2015, according to AORD.