The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Enhancing food security and resilience in rural communities of Sudan
Together with the European Union, UNOPS is supporting smallholder farmers in Eastern Sudan to build climate-resilience and increase agricultural productivity.
Sudan is facing a severe food insecurity crisis: more than 24.6 million people are experiencing acute food insecurity, while 638,000 face catastrophic levels of hunger. Ongoing conflict across the country is a key driver of the crisis, having severely disrupted livelihoods, damaged infrastructure, and hindered access to supply chains, trade routes and markets.
With €16.5 million in funding from the European Union, UNOPS is implementing a project to help build sustainable livelihoods and increase food security in rural communities most affected by food insecurity, climate change and conflict, in the Gedaref, Kassala and Red Sea States of Eastern Sudan.
The conflict in Sudan has had a devastating impact on millions of people, pushing acute food insecurity to unprecedented levels and causing the world's largest internal displacement crisis.
“This four-year programme with UNOPS comes at a critical moment as people grapple to sustain their livelihoods amidst immense uncertainty,” added Ambassador O'Hara.
With a focus on building local capacity to improve productivity and resilience, the project will help smallholder farmers develop knowledge and skills in key areas, including agricultural and livestock value chains and climate-adaptation practices. It will also facilitate financing opportunities, including with micro-finance institutions, to promote production and marketing of products. Farmers, herders and pastoralists will also benefit from better support and access to agro-ecological and climate-adaptation information, as well as mechanized equipment and markets.
The project will help create business opportunities and decent employment along priority agriculture and livestock value chains for youth, women and men – including persons with disabilities, internally displaced persons, refugees, returnees and host communities.
Activities also include rehabilitating or constructing climate-resilient infrastructure – to facilitate agricultural production and livestock management, and improve access to markets and basic services. This will contribute to increased job opportunities for skilled and unskilled workers, who will be engaged in these works through a cash for work modality. Emergency cash-based support for food security will be provided to acutely food insecure target groups.
“UNOPS has been committed to supporting Sudan and its people for almost 20 years, so our partnership with the European Union shall bring tangible benefits to the small farmers and communities [in Eastern Sudan],” said Ms. Worknesh Mekonnen, Director of UNOPS Horn of Africa Multi-Country Office.
