Sudan: Humanitarian Update, June 2022 (No. 06) 1 - 30 June 2022

HIGHLIGHTS

• Almost a quarter of Sudan's population - 11.7 million people - are estimated to be facing acute food insecurity from June to September, according to IPC’s latest analysis.

• Close to 35,000 newly displaced people were recorded in May and June across Sudan as a result of localized conflicts.

• The high prevalence of acute malnutrition in Sudan is contributing to increased morbidity and mortality risks among children under-five years.

• WFP announced its plan to cut rations in Sudan due to funding shortages.

• The 2022 Sudan HRP is 20 per cent funded as of the end of June 2022.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

The humanitarian situation in Sudan continued to be a major concern, with a steady increase in food insecurity levels, more civilian displacement and the arrival of more refugees from neighbouring countries, mainly South Sudan,
Ethiopia, and Eritrea.

In May and June 2022, close to 35,000 newly displaced people were recorded across Sudan as a result of localized conflicts, including 28,873 people displaced in West Darfur, 1,158 people in South Darfur, and another 4,765 people in South Kordofan, according to the protection sector partners. There have also been reports of 19,000 people displaced to North Darfur (these numbers are yet to be verified) following the spillover of displaced people following a localized conflict in Kulbus locality of West Darfur. There are over 3.1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) across Sudan, mainly in Darfur and the Two Areas (South Kordofan and Blue Nile).

Meanwhile, since the start of 2022, close to 16,721 refugees from South Sudan arrived in Sudan, mainly in White Nile State (10,554), West Kordofan (3,190), and East Darfur (2,477).

Food security

On 20 June, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) issued an analysis on food security in Sudan.

The analysis was carried out between March and April 2022, involving 19 agencies, including several government departments, specialized UN agencies, and local and international non-government organizations (NGOs). The IPC analysis indicates a significant deepening in Sudan’s food crisis. Almost a quarter of the country's population (11.7 million people) are estimated to be facing acute hunger from June to September— an increase by nearly 2 million people compared with the same period last year. West Darfur, North Darfur, Central Darfur, Khartoum, Kassala and the White Nile states—the hardest hit by conflict and economic decline—host the highest number of people in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) and Emergency (IPC Phase 4) levels of food insecurity during the projection period from June to September 2022.

The fragile economy, prolonged dry spells, reduced area cultivated, and erratic rainfall are among the root causes of the increase, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Meanwhile, on 20 June, the World Food Programme (WFP) in Sudan announced that it had been forced to cut rations for refugees across the country due to severe funding shortfalls. WFP regularly assists over 550,000 refugees in Sudan. Starting in July, refugees will receive only half of a standard food basket, whether as in-kind food or cashbased transfers. Amidst reports that malnutrition is rising, including among those forcibly displaced, these cuts could exacerbate protection risks as refugees may resort to negative coping mechanisms, including school drop-out, child labour, early marriage, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Nutrition programmes for refugees, covering malnourished children under five years and pregnant or nursing women, will not be affected.

FAO is intensifying efforts to address acute food insecurity. With US$12 million in funding from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), FAO has launched a new project which aims to restore the food security and nutrition of resource-poor farming and pastoral communities through the provision of emergency agriculture and livestock supplies. The project will target 180,000 households (900,000 people) from the most vulnerable farming and pastoralist communities, including IDPs, returnees, refugees and resident households.

The project covers both agricultural and livestock assistance, which aims at rapidly reducing dependence on emergency food assistance and provides a basis for medium and longer-term recovery. The project has a component that supports crop protection committees to ensure that farmers access their farms and that their crops are protected right through to the harvest.

In mid-June, WFP published the Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Assessment (CFSVA) report. The report states that the combined effects of the economic and political crisis, conflict and displacement, climate shocks, and poor harvests significantly affected peoples’ access to food in Sudan. According to the CFSVA, 34 per cent of the population (about 15 million people) were food insecure during the first quarter of 2022. This is an increase of 7 per cent compared to the same period in 2021, when 27 per cent of the population (12 million people) were food insecure.

The highest prevalence of food insecurity was observed in West Darfur (65 per cent); Central Darfur (59 per cent);
North Darfur (56 per cent); and Blue Nile (50 per cent) states. Food insecurity worsened across most states, with households headed by women more food insecure than their counterparts by 11 per cent, primarily due to limited access to the labour market. Economic vulnerability plays a major role in this food insecurity as 95 per cent of households spend more than 65 per cent of their total expenditure on food.