With reference to IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) monthly bulletin April 2012, the climate outlook indicates likelihood of normal to above normal rainfall over South Sudan during May 2012 except for the border areas between Sudan and South Sudan. This has implication of good prospect for high agricultural production as the season has started well. Occurrence of crop diseases outbreak inflicted by weather parameters and flooding of homesteads in flood prone areas of South Sudan is also expected.

Food security situation in South Sudan is deteriorating following the cereal production deficit occasioned by extended period of dry spells in 2011. As the result, about 4.7 million populations are anticipated to be potentially food insecure and about 1 million populations are likely to be severely food insecure. In South Sudan, the food insecurity is regularly driven by inadequate rainfall and inter-communal conflicts. Increases of inter-communal conflicts or cattle raiding in states like Jonglei, Upper Nile, Unity and Warrap State affected not only food availability but also food access to the affected households.

Increasing demand and tightened supply (due to poor harvest and tightened imports) are causing food shortages and accelerating inflation in Sudan. Global food prices have also increased for the second consecutive month in February, and remain high with prices of most commodity groups monitored rising again (FAO Food Price Index)........