Needs

• The Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) Cluster needs US$581.2 million to target 15 million—out of the 19.9 million people in need of FSL assistance—of the most food insecure vulnerable populations including internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, returnees, and residents with life-saving food and emergency agriculture assistance.
• Vulnerable groups, including women, children, persons with disabilities, refugees, and internally displaced persons, continue to face severe food insecurity conditions.
• The prolonged conflict is causing displacement, limitation in access to assistance and disruption of livelihoods, which is exacerbating food insecurity among the most vulnerable individuals.
• Food insecurity conditions of crisis and above (IPC Phase 3+) will most likely spread across the country, as Sudan enters the typical lean season between June to September. Already food insecure people will most likely witness their conditions deteriorate – and their already low coping capacities decrease, rendering them highly vulnerable to the direct and indirect impacts of the ongoing conflict on food security conditions.

Response

• Despite the continuous insecurity and operational challenges, FSL humanitarian partners continue to provide life-saving food and emergency livelihoods assistance to people affected by conflict and IDPs.
• Overall FSL Response (1 January – 15 October) – The FSL has reached 9.23 million people across Sudan with life-saving food and emergency livelihoods assistance with the support of 30 FSL partners. Around 152 localities in 18 states were covered with FSL response – 3.25 million people received food assistance and 5.98 million people received emergency livelihoods support.
• Post-Conflict Response (15 April – 15 October) – FSL sector has reached 7.87 million people with life-saving food and emergency livelihoods assistance during the reporting period. The FSL response covered 152 localities in 18 states with 2.36 million people provided with food and 5.51 million people provided with emergency livelihoods assistance. Furthermore, FSL partners and the humanitarian community will continue to vigorously advocate with all parties for full and unimpeded humanitarian access as a fundamental prerequisite for effective FSL humanitarian interventions.

Gaps

• Considering the gaps in terms of reaching vulnerable populations under FSL response, FSL Cluster partners are working on reaching 63.2 per cent of the 15 million targeted population to be supported till the end of December 2023 with emergency livelihoods assistance. Only 2.36 million people out of the 6 million targeted with food assistance (39.3 per cent) have been reached.

Challenges

• During the dry season (November to May), farmers who practice rain-fed agriculture face a “hunger gap” in addition to financial challenges, while throughout the season, herding communities struggle with water scarcity, diminishing pastures and compromised livestock health, leading to economic strain and a decrease in food consumption patterns.
• In the southern and southeastern parts of the country, cumulative seasonal rainfall has been poorly distributed with below-average rainfall in the latter months of the production season (July and August) linked to the current El Niño, particularly in parts of Gedaref, Sennar, Blue Nile, South Kordofan, and West Kordofan states, which is also impacting humanitarian access and FSL response in those areas.
• Impediments to migrant labour are significantly constraining planted area and cereal production, contributing to already high production costs, and resulting in spiking food prices.
• The country is experiencing widescale unavailability of livestock vaccines and drugs due to the destruction of the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in Khartoum, as well as damaged facilities owned by private drug suppliers and manufacturing companies.
• Given the access and security constraints which are hindering FSL response and considering the dynamic context across the country, the FSL Cluster will continue to monitor the situation and will focus on alternate measures to support that vulnerable population till the end of this year 2023.

Humanitarian organizations require US$2.6 billion to support 18.1 million people with multi-cluster assistance and protection services until the end of the year, but only $980.5 million (38.2 per cent) has been received as of 28 November.

***For more cluster response see the ***Sudan Humanitarian Response Dashboard (as of 15 October 2023)