Global Climatic Changes Threatening Country’s Food Security
Matata Safi
6 October 2011
press release
Juba — The minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Hon Joseph Lual Acuil has said that a food security crisis caused by the global climatic changes is looming in South Sudan and warned that a positive intervention is urgently needed to stop it from deteriorating into a famine situation similar to that in the Horn of Africa.
The minister sounded this warning yesterday during the weekly media briefing at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting chaired by the minister for Information and Broadcasting Hon Dr Barnaba Marial Benjamin who is also the Official Spokesperson of the government of the Republic of South Sudan.
Hon Lual was quick to clarify that this situation does not mean that there is a crisis of famine in the country. He said the climatic changes have affected South Sudan in both floods and droughts. He said rainfall that was supposed to have started early this year was delayed. He also said this change in rainfall patterns has led to repeated planting for instance in Central Equatorial which he said was tedious for farmers and costly in labor and seeds. The minister said in other parts of the country planting was started in April and with the dry spell in June the production could not be relied on. He said this scenario has caused food shortage.
The minister said the current heavy rainfall that started in September is most likely to continue up to December this year as per the report of the IGAD Centre for Climate Information. He said this will most likely affect crops and subsequently result into floods as has been witnessed in Torit in Eastern Equatoria State where recent floods washed away crops and homes.
Hon Lual explained that a survey carried out in September by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry indicates that there is a food gap of 300,000 to 400,000 metric tons to keep the country up to February 2012 when the next rainy season is expected. He said currently about 1.3 million people are vulnerable. The minister said this group includes the IDPs, returnees as well as the farmers who lost their crops to the dry spell or floods. He said this may increase or decrease. He also reported that another assessment is on that is expected to publish its results mid this month. He explained that it is this second study which will show the exact food deficit in the country.
The minister further said the states most affected are Jonglei, which he said is completely under water; Unity state; Upper Nile; Warrap; Northern Bahr el Ghazal; parts of Western Equatoria; and parts of Eastern Equatoria. The minister said that in Upper Nile the situation is critical due to the high presence of the IDPs and returnees.
Hon Lual said that his ministry, and indeed the government, is working on a roadmap to address to this looming crisis. He said the President of the Republic H.E Salva Kiir Mayardit has already donated some money through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management to mitigate the situation in Warrap State and that some food has already been distributed there. He said humanitarian organizations like World Food Program (WFP), ICRC, and SSRRC and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs have already been to Kwajok and reported that the situation is now being managed.
He further said there is food in store and that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the World Food Program are looking for a plane to airlift it to Uron in Jonglei State which has witnessed inter-clan clashes early last month in which food and animals were raided.
The minister said he will lead a delegation together with the head of UNDP, Liz Grande, to New York in the first week of December to appeal to donors for support. He said once the report is out, they will present it to the donors. He asserted that if the international community is able to donate just a part of what is required then the government and the local community will have to meet the balance.
He said there are also plans to preposition food stores in 110 locations across the country in areas expected to experience food shortages. This would, he said, would ensure that if a crisis occurs, then food is available within reach as opposed to the current situation where food supply is limited due to limitations of transportation systems.
He further called on all South Sudanese to exercise patience towards this situation and said the government is working hard to address it. He called on leaders to take up the lead in agriculture to show the rest of the population how to be self-reliant.
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