South Sudan gained independence in 2011 with 8.5 million people whose main livelihoods are agriculture, livestock, and fishing, though urban areas depend on food imports. Political instability, declining oil production and taxes, natural disasters, and weak policies have influenced food insecurity. Over 4 in 5 households can meet needs without unsustainable coping strategies, while at least 1 in 5 have minimal food consumption and cannot afford other needs without irreversible strategies. To improve resilience, interventions must address instability, diversify agriculture, strengthen coping strategies, and improve production and market linkages. South Sudan relies heavily on oil exports, so the economy must diversify income generation, especially through prioritizing agriculture.

1. IFPRI 2020 Conference on Building
Resilience for Food and Nutrition
Security
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 14-17 May, 2014
Lessons Learnt from South Sudan in Building
Resilience
Banak Joshua Dei Wal
Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster
Management, Republic of South Sudan, Juba

2. Introduction
South Sudan gained independence in2011 with
approximately 8.5 million people
Main livelihoods activities include: agriculture,
livestock keeping and fishing
Urban areas heavily depend on external food
supply from the neighboring countries e.g.
Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya
98% income is drawn from oil export

3. Risk and vulnerability analysis in South
Sudan
 More than 4 in 5 HHs are able to meet essential &
non-food needs without engaging in typical,
unsustainable strategies to access food and income
including any reliance on humanitarian assistance
 Even with any humanitarian assistance at least one
in five HHs have minimal adequate food consumption
but unable to afford some essential non-food
expenditures without engaging in irreversible coping
strategies

4. Risk and vulnerability analysis cont’
The same group mentioned above has food
consumption gaps with high or usual acute
malnutrition or are marginally able to meet
minimum food needs only with accelerated depletion
of livelihoods assets that lead to food consumption
gaps
Seven (7) million are at risk of food insecurity
 3.7 million people are in acute need of food

5. Factors Influencing Food Security in
South Sudan
 Political instability
 Drop in oil production & tax collection
 Displaced population
 Natural disasters e.g. flood in 2013
 Rain fall variability
 Severe capacity deficit and weak monitoring
policies

6. Key Interventions to Improve Food
Security & Community Resilience
 End to re-current political instability
 Establish viable and sustainable economic reforms
 Enhance diversify agricultural production
 Strengthen community coping strategies
 Improve linkages between production areas &
consumption centres e.g. livestock marketing

7. Conclusion
 Key policies required to encourage investments &
innovation to build sustainable livelihoods
 South Sudan economy is heavily dependent on oil
export – there is need to diversify income
generation approaches prioritization of agriculture
 With almost all agricultural production being
rainfall, monitoring rainfall variability becomes
imperative
 Capacity building & enhancement of community
coping mechanism

8. Conclusion cont’
 The current crisis has shaped future food insecurity
risks being anticipated as displaced communities have
no access to farming even with any humanitarian
assistance, still there will be food consumption gaps
resulting in high acute malnutrition, increased mortality
and extreme loss of livelihood assets
 What happens today shapes future famine risks (2015)

9. THANK YOU