Prospects for 2002 crops, to be harvested from October, are uncertain. In southern Sudan, prospects were dampened due to continuous population displacements following a recent upsurge in conflict coupled with late and below average rains in parts. The exception is West Equatoria Region where the first of two season crops was harvested in August and the second is just being planted, as is typical of the region. Heavy rains and floods in July displaced a large number of people in West Kordofan and White Nile States.
Escalation of conflict in parts of southern Sudan is set to exacerbate an already poor food security situation due to continuing civil strife and adverse weather. Large numbers of people have been displaced and hundreds of thousands cut off from humanitarian access. Already an estimated 3 million IDPs, drought-affected and vulnerable people in different parts of the country depend on food assistance.
A joint FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission will visit southern Sudan in October and northern Sudan later in November/December to assess this year’s crop harvest and food supply prospects for the 2002/03 marketing year.