Looming Famine in South Sudan

By Steve Paterno

July 16, 2009 — For years, the world knows South Sudan as a famine stricken region, with images of malnourished bodies always floating the global media. It has been so, largely, due to the South-North conflicts, which ended in a landmark peace agreement signed in 2005. Despite the peace agreement, South Sudan is experiencing humanitarian crisis of a sheer magnitude, given the deteriorating situation. Sudan as a sovereign country still holds a world record of the largest internally displaced persons (IDPs). According to the United Nations, “between January and June 2009, more than 214,000, people were displaced by conflict within Southern Sudan.” The rate of those displaced within this short period is more than double the displacement of the entire last year.

This dire situation raises the specter of famine as it threatens the distributions and production of food. For example, last month, barges carrying 735 metric tons of UN food, intended for 18,000 IDPs in Akobo County, Jonglei State, were intercepted and ambushed by tribal rival group. Scores of people were killed, barges were sunk and all the food lost, and a consequent starvation of 18,000 IDPs in the process. In some of the most violent areas of the South, the UN estimates that the numbers of South Sudanese population at risk will likely increase by as much as 20% to 30% by the end of year if the pace of insecurity in those areas persist.

Unfortunately, this crisis is happening at a critical historical juncture, at the time when many humanitarian agencies are expelled from Sudan by the Khartoum genocidal regime. The expulsion of these agencies saw significant reduction in humanitarian services delivery in the country. The current existing structures and capacity of the relief activities are overstretched. The crisis also comes at a period of global financial shortage, where generous financial contributions to humanitarian causes are difficult to come by. Even though the UN operations in Sudan receives half of its budget—more than two billion dollars—there is no guarantee that the agency will get all the remaining half of budget as pledged by the donor nations.

With the high level of insecurity, reduction in operational capacity, (due to the expulsion of the humanitarian agencies), and budget shortfalls, the area for UN operational coverage fell short to 42% of its targeted coverage area. Virtually, large populations of South Sudanese who are in urgent need of humanitarian assistances are out of reach.

In places like Western Equatoria State, where the population has relied on farming for generations, the recent constant attacks and raids by the Uganda rebels, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), has disrupted farming activities. Thus far, Western Equatoria State leads in largest number of registered IDPS in comparison to the other Southern Sudanese states. The Western Equatorian citizens, who come under attacks, flee their rural farmlands to seek safety in urban surroundings. They are denied to cultivate their lands, but are rather left to depend on charity and handout food. In addition, the LRA brutal activities in Democratic Republic of Congo have forced influx of tens of thousands of Congolese refugees, flocking into South Sudan where the risk and vulnerability to malnutrition increases as the number of those who depends on food handout grow.

Connected to all these, is the degradation of global climate. Overall, crop yield across South Sudan has been very low and poor. Since the signing of peace deal in 2005, South Sudan has been importing huge quantities of food from the neighboring Uganda. However, Uganda of recent has also been hit with food shortage, because of climate related events. Several individuals are reported to have perished of hunger in Northern Uganda. According to news report, one in three Ugandan is facing food shortage. Ugandan government is tightening its grip on its food supplies, by considering measures to block exports of food into South Sudan—the measures that may further exacerbate the already high food prices and aggravate the impact of food shortage in South Sudan. Recent report by Food and Agriculture Organization indicates cereal price in Sudan has more than tripled that of two years ago while in neighboring countries, the price has increased twice that of two years ago.

Though climate change affects developing nations like South Sudan the most, it does not in a way imply that there is never enough food around to feed those who need to be fed. The challenge that remains is how to get the food to those who are in need. In the case of South Sudan, the corrupt and incompetent government is unable to establish integral programs to feed its citizens or to reduce the effect of the looming food crisis. Therefore, the solution will entirely depend on UN continuous efforts in supplying food for the needy, couple by a sheer luck in improvement of security as well as better changes of climate to allow the people of South Sudan subsistent farming in their fertile lands to feed themselves.

Steve Paterno is the author of The Rev. Fr. Saturnino Lohure, A Roman Catholic Priest Turned Rebel. He can be reached at [email protected]