ROME --- The ongoing conflict and related economic downturn in South Sudan has
left 3.8 million people facing emergency and crisis levels of food insecurity,
according to a new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report.
That is 1.3 million more than the IPC's last projection made in December 2014.
It warned that unless action is taken, the situation is set to further
deteriorate with around 4.6 million people, or some 40 percent of the country's
population becoming severely food insecure by July 2015.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is a set of
standardized tools that aims at providing a "common currency" for
classifying the severity and magnitude of food insecurity.
The IPC estimates for April, indicate that most of the people affected - 3
million at Crisis level and 800 000 at the Emergency level - are located in the
three states of the country's northeastern Greater Upper Nile region hardest
hit by the fighting. Many others are from the western part of the Greater Bahr
el Ghazal region where conditions have deteriorated as a result of a spillover
from the conflict.
The conflict and insecurity disrupted last year's planting season in the
Greater Upper Nile region and has led to the displacement of millions of
livestock animals as herders fled from the fighting across the country. As
conflict escalates, more people are being displaced above the 1.5 million
already recorded in 2014.
Meanwhile, even in
non-conflict affected areas many markets are not functioning properly while
rising inflation and depreciation of the local currency are driving food prices
upwards.
The report also shows that in addition to the 3.8 million people now at
Emergency and Crisis levels, an additional 4 million have reached the Stressed
food security phase (see graphic at right).
"This means they
will not be able to adequately sustain their livelihoods or meet their food
needs without engaging in negative coping mechanisms including consuming wild
foods and skipping meals," said Erminio Sacco, Chief Technical Adviser of
the Agriculture Food Information System in South Sudan - an FAO project funded
by the European Union to support the institutionalization of robust food
security information systems at both the national and state levels.
"Observed trends, such as market disruption with increasing food prices,
will inevitably lead this population to spiral into acute levels of food
insecurity across the country," he added.
The IPC is a multi-partner initiative that uses a standardized approach to
classifying food insecurity, particularly in crises situations. Estimates are
based on a technical consensus among the involved stakeholders, including
governments.
Livelihoods at risk while food prices rise
Already, in South Sudan's capital and largest city, Juba, prices of both
locally produced and imported cereals, vegetable oil and sugar increased by 24
to 69 percent in the first quarter of the year and are currently 90 to 100
percent above the normal seasonal levels.
Food typically comprises a large share of household expenditure here - up to 85
percent for the urban poor. As the economic downturn erodes incomes, more urban
and rural poor will be unable to meet their food requirements.
The IPC report noted how the conflict has threatened rural livelihoods,
particularly in the Greater Upper Nile region, further eroding the food
security situation. For example, it noted a significant decrease in the amount
of households that receive income from casual - skilled and unskilled - labour,
declining from typically 20 to 30 percent to merely 6 to 8 percent.
In order to make a living or meet their food needs, many people in rural areas
are now engaged in alternative livelihoods options such as sale of crops,
livestock and natural resources such as wooden poles, grass, firewood,
charcoal, or are seeking food assistance through kinship ties.
Food security depends on ending the conflict
The IPC report noted that improving the food security situation will greatly
depend on security, conflict resolution, economic stabilization and
unrestrained humanitarian access.
As part of its country resilience programme, FAO has scaled up efforts to reach
2.8 million people with emergency livelihood support including crop kits,
vegetable kits, fishing kits and livestock treatment kits in 2015. However the
Organization warns that the South Sudanese people's ability to recover will remain
fragile until people can fully resume rebuilding their livelihoods.
"FAO South Sudan is adapting its operations and prioritizing emergency
livelihood interventions to reach people who are severely food insecure, but
the main concern is safety and accessing these people in time," said FAO
Representative, Serge Tissot.
"To avoid a further and potentially catastrophic decline in the food
security situation of the most vulnerable, it is critical that partners
continue and possibly expand their work on emergency livelihood support as well
as on building resilience," Tissot added.
The latest IPC report endorsed by the Government of the Republic of South Sudan
can be found here. The next comprehensive IPC analysis for South Sudan will be
completed in September 2015. –end-
