South Sudan receives crucial AfDB support to combat food insecurity and hunger
South Sudan has received $46 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to the Food and Agriculture Delivery Pact, to address severe food insecurity in the country.
The Food and Agriculture Delivery Pact is an initiative aimed at revitalising the country’s agricultural sector over the next six years. The country continues to grapple with severe food insecurity, with 7 million people struggling to access sufficient and nutritious food.
South Sudan, ranked as the third most fragile country globally and highly susceptible to climate change, depends heavily on agriculture, which provides 70% of jobs and up to 95% of household income. However, only 4.5% of the country’s arable land is currently being farmed.
The AfDB's investment will focus on deploying climate-smart technologies, enhancing key value chains such as sorghum, rice, sesame, and fisheries, and promoting digital agricultural and climate advisory solutions.
The initiative, set to run from September 2024 to December 2030 in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), will also prioritize skill development for women and young people, creating new job opportunities. The program aims to benefit 567,155 people across Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Eastern Equatoria, Central Equatoria, and Jonglei, with half of the beneficiaries being women and youth aged 18 to 35.
