Thousands of South Sudanese families are stranded in Sudan’s capital Khartoum waiting for an opportunity to return home, but insecurity and lack of resources have been hampering efforts by humanitarian agencies to transport them safely back to their places of origin.

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Measured improvements may be sustained from January through June in some areas

KEY MESSAGES

• Significant improvements in current food security outcomes have occurred, even as 12.9 million people remain in the Stressed (IPC Phase 2), Crisis (IPC Phase 3), and Emergency (IPC Phase 4) levels of acute food insecurity.

1. MAJOR CHANGES SINCE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THE HIP

I/ First modification 20/07/2012

This HIP is being modified to take into account a deterioration of the humanitarian situation and increased humanitarian needs, both in Sudan and South Sudan.

Headlines

• Cereal prices stabilized or fell in almost all monitored markets in North Darfur, attributed to the good rainy season and prospects of a good harvest. Livestock prices fell in some markets and fluctuated in others. Overall, the terms of trade between cereals and livestock has improved in many monitored markets.

• Exceptionally heavy rains and flooding in June 2012 caused heavy livestock losses in Malha locality.

Acute food insecurity likely to decline for most poor households from October to March.

KEY MESSAGES

• October to March 2013 is anticipated to have a significant reduction in the food insecure population in East Africa from the exceptionally high level of acute food insecurity during the peak of the drought crisis in August 2011. An estimated 14.5 million people in Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti, and Rwanda, down from 16 million in September 2012, are in the Stressed (IPC Phase 2) and Crisis (IPC Phase 3) phases of acute food insecurity.

Outbreak of yellow fever in Darfur claims more than 100 lives to date

KEY MESSAGES

• An outbreak of yellow fever in 22 localities in the Darfur region has resulted in 374 cases and 110 deaths as of midNovember, with a 29 percent fatality rate reported. The highest number of cases are reported in Central and West Darfur states with 67 percent and 17 percent of the total number of cases, respectively.

In this issue:

• Regional Food Security Situation and Outlook - Key highlights from the FSNWG meeting November 15th
• Hotspots to watch
• Rainfall, flood and El Nino update
• Market Analysis Sub-Group report on informal, regional trade in food commodities and OXFAM’s experience of engaging markets to promote business development in Turkana.

Key highlights from the FSNWG meeting held on October 18, 2012 (FSNWG, 18/10/12)

• The seasonal harvests have reached both households and markets in the region improving food availability and access. This has caused a decrease in staple food prices and an increase in food security. Between July and August 2012, grain prices declined in the majority of regional markets in Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan and Sudan. However, stressed and crisis levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 2 & 3) persists in many areas.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS