Sudan is set to receive US $20million grant for food security. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Khardiata Lô N’Diaye made the announcement and said the funds will come from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)*.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) will receive US$12 million, the UN Children’s Agency (UNICEF) $7million, with the World Food Programme (WFP) receiving $1 million to provide logistic support.
FAO and WFP said that the combined effects of conflict, economic crisis, and poor harvests are significantly affecting people’s access to food across Sudan. This could potentially double the number of people facing acute hunger in Sudan by September 2022.
“This grant will allow the procurement and distribution of seeds, provide critical nutrition and WASH services and support crop protection committees to farmers in Darfur,” Humanitarian Coordinator Khardiata Lô N’Diaye said.
Inflation
‘This is a race against time to ensure that hundreds of thousands of people in Sudan are protected from acute food insecurity in the months ahead. This is a race against time to ensure that hundreds of thousands of people in Sudan are protected from acute food insecurity in the months ahead,” she added.
Last month, Amid Sudan’s recent inflation of the Sudanese Pound (SDG), the WFP reported that the national average retail price of food in Sudan has significantly increased, making “nutritious food unaffordable for many families”.
The WFP said that the average retail price of sorghum in Sudan during March was SDG198 per kilo, marking a sharp rise of 20% compared to February. While the price of wheat flour stood at SDG681 pounds per kilo, a marked increase of 14 per cent compared to the previous month. The average price of a goat SDG18,958 per head was down slightly by 1.33%, compared to the previous month. The price of peanuts reached SDG11,548 per sack, representing a significant increase of 14%, compared to the previous month.
The WFP stated, “the average cost of the WFP domestic food basket rose to SDG349.93, a sharp increase of nearly 20 per cent, compared to the previous month”. As a result of food insecurity and Sudan’s recent economic decline, the prices of crops and foods are expected to increase further during 2022.
