Food crisis looms as fighting continues in Sudan's Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan

[News_Editor]

Food crisis looms as fighting continues in Sudan's Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan

2011-10-06 02:19:39 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Wednesday warned of a looming food crisis in Sudan's Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan states due to the recent fighting in the region.

Deadly fighting in recent weeks has displaced tens of thousands of people in the two regions, which lie on the border between Sudan and the newly-independent nation of South Sudan.

Conflicts and erratic rainfall have also brought additional problems as food availability is forecast to be "significantly reduced" or "generally fail" in next month's harvest, according to FAO. UN officials called for urgent action and funding to prevent a looming crisis following the renewed fighting between Sudanese Government troops and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N).

UN officials have called on all parties to cease hostilities and to ensure access so that humanitarian workers can reach those who need help. FAO said in a news release that at least 235,000 people in both states need help given the probable issue of food availability.

The fighting has disrupted the major crop season in Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan - two of Sudan's main sorghum producing areas, according to the Rome-based agency.

In South Kordofan, people fled at the start of the planting season and were unable to sow seeds, while in Blue Nile fighting erupted later in the season so seeds were planted but people were forced to abandon their crops.

The shortage of food stocks has already led to a doubling of prices, which are expected to continue to rise steeply.

Meanwhile, the agency also pointed out that seasonal livestock migration has been disrupted in both states causing large herds to be concentrated in small areas along the border.

"This is causing overcrowding and could lead to outbreaks of livestock disease," said Cristina Amaral, Chief of FAO's Emergency Operations Service. "Tensions between farmers and nomadic herders over water and land access may also be exacerbated."

Furthermore, all international aid agencies have been barred from Blue Nile, so the true scale of the situation there is unknown, the agency noted. However, a small FAO team of national staff is currently on the ground in South Kordofan and is seeking some $3.5 million for its operations.

Although their office was looted, they were able to distribute seeds and tools to 20,000 vulnerable households in the calmer areas.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-10-06