In order to combat the growing food insecurity in Sudan, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has developed an Emergency Livelihood Response Plan, which will supply local populations with emergency seeds, animal treatment kits, veterinary assistance, and equipment for fisheries and fishing.
The Plan expands on the work done by FAO to address the severe vulnerabilities brought on by the ongoing violence in communities of small-scale farmers, herders, and fishermen. It complements the recent FAO operation to provide emergency seeds. This program assisted farmers in increasing cereal production, preventing asset depletion, and fostering seed diversity. For the approaching 2023 harvest, the anticipated production will help to cover the grain demands of at least 13 million and maybe as many as 19 million people.
According to FAO Representative in Sudan, Hongjie Yang, “Millions of people across Sudan are facing a battle for survival as the food security crisis worsens. “This emergency response plan aims to provide farming, herding, and fishing families with the basics they need to keep production going and feed themselves and their communities.”
The FAO plan aims to assist 50,000 people (10,000 fishing households) with fishing inputs (such as fishing boats and gear) and related training, to ensure steady access to high-protein, quality foods and maintain functional local economies.
It also plans to support a total of 10.1 million people who would receive certified quality seeds of cowpea, groundnut, millet, okra, and sorghum for the 2024 summer season, and chickpea, cucumber, pigeon pea, tomato, and watermelon for the 2023 winter season. They will also be trained in good agricultural practices, such as better handling of farm commodities after harvest.
FAO will need $123 million to carry out the plan over the following 12 months and reach the targeted farmers, herders, and fishermen in 17 of Sudan’s most food-insecure states.
More than 3.8 million people have been forced to flee the nation due to the ongoing bloodshed, and more than 960,000 people have been compelled to seek safety abroad.