Egypt: How WFP signs up refugees from Sudan for cash grants in three minutes
Story | 1 June 2023
Emergency
Sudan emergency
- Over 19 million
- people projected to be food insecure
- 3.7 million
- people internally displaced (before the conflict in April 2023)
- US$728 million
- WFP’s funding requirement
The combined effects of conflict, economic crisis, climate shocks and poor harvests are significantly affecting people’s access to food in Sudan.
A record number of people, approximately one-third of the population, was already facing hunger before the current conflict erupted.
The ongoing violence has the potential to plunge millions more people into hunger. After a brief pause due to ongoing unrest and insecurity, WFP has restarted its operations in the country to address the immediate needs of refugees, host communities and internally displaced people. WFP has activated its highest level of emergency response for the operation in Sudan.
Tens of thousands of Sudanese refugees are fleeing to escape the violence – most of them heading to Egypt, South Sudan and Chad. WFP is assisting newly arrived refugees with emergency food assistance. However, WFP is concerned about the food security situation in neighbouring countries, many of which are already dealing with multiple crises of their own.
The depreciation of the Sudanese Pound, in addition to rising food and transportation costs, also makes it harder for families to put food on the table. The conflict in Ukraine is causing spikes in food costs, as Sudan is dependent on wheat imports from the Black Sea region. Interruption to the flow of grain into Sudan will increase prices and make it difficult to import wheat.
WFP needs US$728 million to ensure immediate life-saving assistance reaches people whose lives have been upended by the ongoing conflict.
What the World Food Programme is doing to respond to the Sudan emergency (some operations temporarily suspended)
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Food assistance
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After a temporary suspension due to the violence, WFP has resumed food distributions to pre-existing refugees and to internally displaced persons, newly displaced people and their host communities in parts of the country. Also, WFP is providing emergency food assistance to refugees who fled to neighbouring countries.
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School meals
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WFP provides meals to encourage school attendance among food-insecure children in rural and conflict-affected areas. The school feeding programme ensures children eat at least one nutritious meal a day.
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Nutrition
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WFP aims to treat acute malnutrition, reduce stunting and prevent mineral and vitamin deficiencies through nutrition-specific interventions. These include life-saving treatment of moderate acute malnutrition through the Targeted Supplementary Feeding Programme, and prevention of acute malnutrition through the emergency blanket supplementary feeding programme. WFP also promotes the consumption of fortified food and provides technical assistance to the Government for the development of legislation and standards in this area.
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Food system and safety nets
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WFP provides opportunities for food-insecure households to participate in community asset building and livelihood activities as part of a safety net programme. For example, WFP helps to reduce post-harvest losses by helping smallholder farmers to store their crops in hermetic bags, thereby reducing food losses and improving food security.
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Common services
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As the lead UN agency for logistics and emergency telecommunications, WFP provides critical logistics and information, and communication-technology services, to the humanitarian community. The WFP-managed United Nations Humanitarian Air Services enables humanitarians and cargo to reach remote and isolated, vulnerable communities.
How you can help
WFP needs US$728 million to ensure immediate life-saving assistance reaches those who need it and who lives have been upended by the ongoing conflict.
Donate now