South Sudan: $61m required to protect, rebuild food security

NaijaAgroNet:

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has warned that the continuous political crisis in South Sudan would require the sum of $61 million, about N9.7 trillion, to protect, rebuild food security and livelihood in the new country, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The recent violence in South Sudan, NaijaAgroNet reports is threatening to increase hunger and human suffering considerably, unraveling modest gains made in food security in the past two years, according to Sue Lautze, FAO Representative in South Sudan, the agency's newest member country.

Also, NaijaAgroNet gathered that under the United Nations' Crisis Response Plan, FAO and its partners in the Food Security and Livelihoods Cluster are seeking $61 million for crucial food assistance and livelihoods activities.

FAO's efforts are focused on getting seeds, livestock vaccines, fishing gear and other agricultural inputs, technologies and services to vulnerable rural and urban families whose food production and income activities are being disrupted by conflict and the displacement of people.

This, NaijaAgroNet reports would afford FAO to mitigate the environmental impact of displacement.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that the humanitarian situation in South Sudan deteriorated rapidly since fighting broke out in mid-December, causing not only the loss of life and displacement, but also disrupting agricultural development and humanitarian activities crucial to the survival and future livelihoods of millions.

“The impacts on diversified livelihoods in four of South Sudan's ten states are generating an alarming risk of food insecurity and malnutrition,” Lautze noted.

Ayo Omidele/GEE

... Linking agrobiz, people & technology