Khartoum/Rome – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warns of an impending food crisis in Sudan, caused by the combined effects of armed conflict, low production of major staple crops and economic troubles.

A multi-partner analysis of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), released today and conducted between March and April 2022, involving 19 agencies, including several government departments, specialized UN agencies and non-governmental organizations. local and international governments, indicates a significant deepening in the Sudanese food crisis. A record 11.7 million people, nearly a quarter of the country’s population, are expected to face acute hunger at the height of the lean season in September, an increase of almost 2 million. people compared to the same period last year.

West, North and Central Darfur, Khartoum, Kassala and White Nile states—the hardest hit by conflict and economic decline—have the highest number of Crisis (Phase 3) food insecurity cases. IPC) and Emergency (IPC Phase 4) over the projection period from June to September 2022.

“These worrying figures are the clearest indication of deteriorating food security conditions in the country,” said Babagana Ahmadu, FAO Representative in Sudan. “To prevent more people from falling into crisis and emergency situations and to avert a looming food crisis, it is imperative that we double down on investments in local food production to ensure that farming families and herders can feed themselves and their communities in the months to come. ”

The first half of 2022 marked the peak of the country’s political crises, economic collapse and external factors such as the war in Ukraine. The analysis indicates that conflict is one of the main drivers of food insecurity, along with economic decline, rising food prices and crop failures due to adverse weather conditions. Indeed, the harvest for the 2021/22 season is expected to fall by more than a third compared to previous seasons.

The war in Ukraine further aggravates the food situation in Sudan, which depends on wheat imports from the Black Sea region. An interruption in the grain flow to Sudan will increase prices and make wheat imports more difficult. Wheat prices in the Black Sea region are currently above $550 per ton, which represents an increase of 180% compared to the same period in 2021.

FAO continues to scale up its assistance to farmers and pastoralists in rural areas and, until the end of the year, will help more than 2 million people with a series of interventions supporting agricultural, livestock and vegetable production. , cash transfers and rehabilitation of vital infrastructure. infrastructure and irrigation systems.

“More funding is urgently needed to continue scaling up our agricultural livelihoods interventions immediately as the main agricultural season in Sudan now begins,” Ahmadu said.

FAO urgently calls for large-scale action, including increased funding, to address the sharp rise in food insecurity and to save lives, livelihoods and prevent a worsening of the food crisis. hunger in the country.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is a set of tools and procedures for classifying the severity and causes of acute food and nutrition insecurity as well as chronic food insecurity based on standards international. The IPC analysis in Sudan is led by the Food Security Technical Secretariat of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Sudan with the technical working groups consisting of all government line ministries, UN agencies United Nations and non-governmental partners and members of the IPC Technical Working Group. federal and state level groups facilitated by IPC regional and global support units.