FAO urges at-scale life-saving assistance to boost local food production
In response to alarming new findings confirming famine conditions in parts of Darfur, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is urging an immediate cessation of hostilities, rapid scale-up of life-saving food, nutrition and cash assistance as well as the emergency agricultural aid. This is critical in conflict-affected areas to address immediate needs and avert the risk of famine from increasing and affecting other locations across Sudan.
The IPC Famine Review Committee (FRC) has conclusively found that Famine conditions are ongoing in the Zamzam Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp which hosts 500,000 IDPs outside of El Fasher town in Darfur.
Sudan is engulfed in an unparalleled food security crisis, facing the worst levels of hunger ever recorded by the IPC in the country, as well as the world’s largest internally displaced crisis. A staggering 755,000 people are currently facing catastrophic levels of acute hunger (IPC Phase 5) – the worst form of hunger – while a total of 25.6 million people are experiencing high levels of acute hunger (IPC Phases 3 and above).
Sudan is highly dependent on agriculture, with nearly 65 per cent of its population engaged in the sector. And it is this sector, rural livelihoods and agrifood systems that are on the front line of the conflict, suffering severe damage and disruption – with cascading and worrying consequences for food security and nutrition.
The situation is likely to be further exacerbated by above-average rainfall and higher-than-average temperatures predicted across southern and central states in Sudan due to the projected La Niña conditions from August–September. The potential flooding may increase the risk of additional crop and livestock losses, while limited humanitarian access is worsening food supply and increasing the risk of severe starvation, FAO warns.
