Highlights
All major key food security indicators showed a seasonal improvement compared to June 2012, though marginally compared to October 2011. For example, 10% and 30% of the assessed households are respectively severely and moderately food insecure compared to 14% and 36% respectively in June 2011 and 10% and 37% respectively in October 2011. Equally, the share of expenditure on food is currently estimated at 48% from a high of 55% in October 2011. Reliance on market as a source of food had reduced to 48% from 53% in October 2011.
Reasons for improvement include good harvest prospects; reduction in food prices; increased market availability following good harvest and resumption of trade flows following the lifting of trade embargo between Juba and Khartoum government among others.
There however, remain major disparities in food security indicators across states with the Northern and Western Bahr el Ghazal, Eastern Equatoria and Upper Nile showing the highest levels of food insecurity. These States have poor market integration and experience relatively low agricultural production prospects.
Prevalence of Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) using Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) was o lowest at 8.6% from a high of 20% in June 2012 and 11% in October 2011.
There is an improvement (currently 88% compared to 81% in 2010) in the level of participation in food production and also in the cultivated area (measured by feddans1).