Prospects for 2002 crops, being harvested, are generally unfavourable. In southern Sudan, prospects were dampened due to continuous population displacements following a recent upsurge in conflict coupled with late and below-average rains in parts. The exception is West Equatoria Region where the first of two season crops was harvested in August and the second is just being planted, as is typical of the region.
Escalation of conflict in parts of southern Sudan is set to exacerbate an already poor food security situation due to continuing civil strife and adverse weather. Large numbers of people have been displaced and hundreds of thousands cut off from humanitarian access. Already an estimated 3 million IDPs, drought-affected and vulnerable people in different parts of the country depend on food assistance. A joint FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission has completed its field work in southern Sudan and is currently in northern Sudan to assess this year’s overall crop harvest and food supply prospects for the 2002/03 marketing year.