OPEC Fund Quarterly : Millions of people in Sudan are now facing “acute food insecurity”. What does that mean in layman’s terms? Leni Kinzli: The WFP's latest Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Assessment speaks of 16.8 million people. What it means is that over a third of the country is struggling to get food in. You have five different levels of food insecurity, from the lowest (level one) to the highest (level five), which is famine conditions and which thankfully we don’t see anywhere right now in the country. Acute food insecurity is level three. In Sudan, one of the main drivers of food insecurity is the economic crisis. It’s not that food is unavailable, but rather unaffordable for many people. Having said that, there are areas in Sudan that are heavily food insecure. In some parts of Darfur around 90 percent of the population are suffering from acute food insecurity. OFQ : Are we in danger of some areas reaching a tipping point into famine, if we have different crises hitting all at once or in quick succession? LK: There is a risk, but it depends on a lot of factors. Last year one of the drivers of food insecurity was the poor harvest following erratic rainfalls, with floods in some areas and droughts in others. The harvest was 35 percent lower than the year before and 30 percent below the five-year average. Luckily we’re seeing an above- average harvest season this year, especially of staples like wheat, sorghum and millet. So, the risk is lower, but it always depends on external conditions like the economic situation or unforeseen climate events.
Leni Kinzli in the field
PHOTO: WFP
OFQ : Sudan is the world’s 15th largest country by area – about three times the size of France – and two-thirds of the population live in the countryside. How difficult is it to reach people in need? How do you manage? LK: It’s very difficult, especially in some rural areas. In the rainy season, there are some parts of the country that we can’t reach at all because the roads get so flooded. You’ll see pictures of WFP trucks trying to drive through muddy, waterlogged roads and getting stuck. To avoid that, we pre-position food in some areas ahead of the rainy season, so that people can be sure of receiving their monthly food rations.
OFQ : How much of the land in Sudan is arable? Is climate change and desertification making life harder for farmers? LK: Around 40 percent of the land is arable. But of that area, less than a quarter is actually being used. So, there is a huge potential to increase Sudan’s agricultural productivity. At the same time, 80 percent of the wheat consumed in Sudan is imported. Two factors from the war in Ukraine affected the situation here. First was the sudden spike in fuel prices, which made it harder and more expensive to import food. Second was the doubling of fertilizer prices. The planting season
There are also some areas that are basically accessible only by
helicopter. The WFP manages the UN Humanitarian Air Service, which we use to fly to 36 locations across Sudan. That gives you an idea of just how hard it is to cross the country and all the locations where people need assistance. The other factor is insecurity and pockets of intercommunal violence, especially in the Darfurs, which can be impossible to navigate. And then, of course, there’s the question of funding. Amid the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, the conflict in Ukraine and the global food crisis, severe funding constraints prevent us from reaching everybody who needs help. Our current shortfall is US$300 million.
Around 40 percent of the land is arable. But of that area, less than a quarter is actually being used. So, there is a huge potential to increase Sudan’s agricultural productivity.
Leni Kinzli, WFP, Head of Communications in Sudan
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