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. 2013 Sep;16(9):1631-6.
doi: 10.1017/S1368980013000669. Epub 2013 Mar 21.

Food security and development in South Sudan: a call to action

Hannah Tappis  1 , Shannon Doocy, Amy Paul, Sonya Funna
Affiliations

Food security and development in South Sudan: a call to action

Hannah Tappis et al. Public Health Nutr. 2013 Sep.

Abstract

Objective: To examine household food insecurity and coping mechanisms in two relatively politically stable states of South Sudan.

Design: Cross-sectional assessment including structured interviews and focus group discussions with food aid programme beneficiaries and staff. Structured interview findings were analysed with descriptive statistics using the statistical software package STATA version 11.

Setting: Rural households in four payams (sub-county administrative districts) benefiting from a multi-year assistance programme funded by the US Agency for International Development. The study was conducted in January 2012, six months after independence.

Subjects: Study subjects included eighty mothers of children aged 6–23 months in structured interviews and eight focus groups, each with six to ten participants, of mothers of children aged 6–23 months.

Results: Ninety-three per cent of households surveyed in Warrap and 100% of households in Northern Bahr el Ghazal states were severely food access insecure. Nearly all households (97?5%) surveyed in both states reported there were months in 2011 without enough food to eat. The majority of households (88%) reported sometimes or often going to bed hungry in the month preceding the study. A number of coping mechanisms were used when households did not have enough food, including reduced meal size, skipping meals, selling assets and engaging in some kind business in order to generate money to buy food.

Conclusions: Given the highly volatile political, economic and humanitarian situation in South Sudan, the priorities of the international community are understandably focused on securing greater stability in South Sudan and preventing humanitarian needs from escalating significantly. There is a need, however, for simultaneous emphasis on food assistance and longer-term development strategies throughout South Sudan, particularly in areas of agriculture, livelihoods and food security.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
(colour online) Map of South Sudan and project and assessment areas
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
(colour online) Food access and ration receipt in 2011 among rural households in four communities that benefited from food distribution in Northern Bahr el Gazal and Warrap states, South Sudan
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Moszynski P (2011) South Sudan: a nation born in crisis. Br Med J 342, d3726. - PubMed
    1. House of Commons International Development Committee (2012) South Sudan: Prospects for Peace and Development. Fifteenth Report of Session 2010–2012. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmintdev/1570... (accessed April 2012).
    1. South Sudan National Bureau of Statistics (2009) National Baseline Household Survey. http://ssnbs.org/publications/ (accessed April 2012).
    1. World Food Programme (2011) South Sudan Food Security Monitoring System Report, Round 5, October 2011. http://documents.wfp.org/stellent/groups/public/documents/ena/wfp243623.pdf (accessed April 2012).
    1. US Agency for International Development (2012) Food Assistance Fact Sheet – South Sudan. http://www.usaid.gov/south-sudan/food-assistance (accessed March 2013).

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