Forced displacement has reached a scale not seen since records began. It has not only increased to an unprecedented level, but so too has its average duration. Latest reports indicate that over 110 million people are currently estimated to be forcibly displaced, and two in three refugees are projected to...

Burkina Faso, Haiti, Mali and the Sudan have been elevated to the highest alert level to join Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen Acute food insecurity is set to potentially increase in magnitude and severity in 18 hunger “Hotspots” comprising a total of 22 countries, a new UN early warning report has...

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) raises a dire warning about the escalating food crisis in the Sudan. As conflict and economic decline continue to ravage the country, urgent and intensified humanitarian support for rural communities is urgently needed. According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase (IPC) projections,...

The impact of COVID 19 on food security in Africa has been among the most widely discussed subjects since the first cases of COVID-19 in Africa broke in February 2020. Most of the narratives were alarming. The headlines put Africa at the brink of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis caused by...

Formed in 2007, Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group (FPS) creates science-based educational materials, which: identify highly nutritious local food plants, explain how to grow them in a sustainable, agroecological way, detail the nutritional value of the plants and describe why human bodies require those nutrients. The resources created by FPS allows people to better...

This study was carried out to establish farmers’ perceptions regarding low agricultural productivity and to document their proposals for improving the performance of agriculture sector in South Sudan. The results reveal that the major challenges related to low agricultural productivity as perceived by farmers include poor leveling of fields, poor...

Low agricultural production and low household incomes mean that food security in the northwest of Kenya and the southeastern part of South Sudan continues to be a challenge. With smallholder producers and small and medium-sized entrepreneurs often marginalized and excluded from access to markets at national and regional levels, there...

South Sudan has been facing severe food deficits mainly due to a decrease in local food production, resulting in poor food stocks and high staple food prices. Latest crop monitoring assessments show that in 2017 farmers had the smallest output of cereals since the start of the 2013 crisis, leaving...

Food insecurity and poor nutritional status remain widespread problems in the Horn of Africa (HOA). A multi-pronged nutrition-sensitive approach to development has been shown to be the best route for sustained reductions in undernutrition. One of the objectives of this report was to review Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) coordination...

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with funding from Denmark, are supporting 24 Junior Farmer Field Schools (JFFS) with over 170 learners in South Sudan. These schools encompass a simple methodology for teaching vulnerable children, including former child soldiers, about farming and entrepreneurial skills. In 2018,...

In January 2018, 48 percent of the population of South Sudan (just over 5.3 million) was classified in the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) Phases 3 (“Crisis”), 4 (“Emergency”) and 5 (“Catastrophe”). This represents an increase of about 40 percent relative to the same time last year. In July, at the...

As part of FAO’s Blue Growth Initiative (BGI) the FAO Member Countries of the Eastern Africa Sub-Region met to agree on a strategy for the Development of Fisheries and Aquaculture within the Blue Growth Initiative in Eastern Africa (BGI Strategy). The BGI is an FAO flagship initiative that aims at...

Formed in 2007, Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group (FPS) creates science-based educational materials, which: identify highly nutritious local food plants, explain how to grow them in a sustainable, agroecological way, detail the nutritional value of the plants and describe why human bodies require those nutrients. The resources created by FPS allows people to better...

For over 40 years, natural hazards (mainly droughts, floods and landslides) have affected millions of people in the eastern Africa sub-region. The impact of these hazards have been high, continue to rise in frequency and are mostly felt in the agriculture and food sectors. In some other countries of the...

To support the empowerment of South Sudanese refugees, FAO has focused on supporting income-generating and agricultural activities; 7 000 farming tools (hoes, rakes, sprayers, watering cans and wheelbarrows) and 80 kg of vegetable seeds (amaranth, cabbage, eggplant, okra and tomato) were distributed. 

Droughts in the Horn of Africa have been increasing in severity and frequency, and aggravated by desertification, land degradation and climate change. With multiple consecutive years of poor rains, dry spells and drought, including the El Niño-induced drought in 2015/16, there has been little to no recovery among affected households...

FAO Regional Office for Africa's Newsletter highlights some relevant news stories, articles, and feature stories across the region, subregions and at countries of Africa. The RAF Newsletter is a good platform resource for knowledge and information sharing. This edition which covers the period of January to June 2017 takes into...

Populations in Africa are increasingly exposed to the negative impact of natural and human-induced disasters such as drought, floods, disease epidemics and conflicts which threaten the agriculture production systems and livelihoods of vulnerable communities. The initiative on “Building Resilience in Africa’s Drylands” was developed to enhance the capacity of these...

FAO Sub-Regional Office for East Africa and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have signed a partnership agreement to coordinate cross-border efforts on animal health, trade and natural resources management coordination.  The programme will address community engagement on policy and investment as well as cross cutting areas of work such...

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a zoonotic, viral, vector-borne disease representing a threat to human health, animal health and livestock production in Africa, the Near East and potentially, Europe and the rest of the world. Rift Valley fever primarily affects sheep, goats, cattle, camels, buffaloes, and antelopes. The majority of...