SUDAN: Durable solutions elusive as southern IDPs return and ...

The most food insecure are populations that rely on agricultural production. Based on the Rapid
Crop Assessment and the Crop and Food Security Assessment, agricultural production in 2009
was 38 per cent below last year’s figure and ten cent below the previous five years average
(WFP, 15 February 2010).
Some of the major findings of the 2009 assessment in relation to IDPs in Southern Sudan are as
follows:
The percentage of the population affected by severe food insecurity among the eight States
ranged from 30 per cent in Eastern Equatoria and Jonglei State to 12 per cent in Lakes State (last
years’ figures ranged between four and 17 per cent). Eastern Equatoria is by far the worst State
with only 28 per cent food secure households (WFP, 15 February 2010). All together some 18 per
cent of the total population of these States are severely food insecure and another 35 per cent
are moderately food insecure (FAO&WFP, 17 February 2010, p.32). See the figure below:
A third of the severely food insecure households are IDPs (34 per cent), slightly less are
returnees (27 per cent), and only a fifth (19 per cent) are residents (last years’ percentages of
severely food insecure populations were 31 per cent of IDPs, 22 per cent of returnees and 11 per
cent of the resident population). The most obvious increase in food insecurity compared to the
previous year is among the resident and returnee population (WFP, 15 February 2010; WFP,
March 2009).
IDP/refugee Returnee Resident
ANLA 2008 31% 22% 11%
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