Request for Information (RFI)

Background Threats to food security remain an enormous challenge to local populations in South Sudan. The most recent data from USAID’s Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance show that 1.3 million children are malnourished (290,000 children facing severe acute malnutrition (SAM), 1 million children facing moderate acute malnutrition (MAM). Additionally, there are 470,000 malnourished pregnant and lactating women. According to Famine Early Warning Network, prior to the advent of COVID-19, the May-to-July IPC projected an estimated 6.5 million people of South Sudan’s total population of 11.7 million were expected to face IPC 3 or worse levels of acute food insecurity at the peak of the lean season. In 2019, despite significant contributions from the WFP, which delivered 300,000 tons of cereals in humanitarian aid, South Sudan still faced a deficit of 181,500 tons. Now due to COVID-19 an additional 2.1 million people are estimated to be in need of additional food assistance. Efforts to increase resilience to help the country better respond to multiple crises and threats, including conflict, economic decline, natural disasters, plant pests, human and animal diseases remain critical. The purpose of this food security activity is to generate rural sector development and improve household resilience, building on the gains that USAID made through FAO/Sustainable Agriculture for Economic Resilience (SAFER) project. SAFER contributed significantly in the realization of cereal increase in 2019 and led to improvement of livelihoods in selected conflict affected areas of South Sudan with stressed and crisis levels of food insecurity. The complexities surrounding conflict and displacements remain as critical drivers of food insecurity and diminished livelihoods. The SAFER project demonstrated that these root causes are best addressed by a conflict and market sensitive approach aimed at enhancing resilience through improved food security, better functioning agriculture markets, strengthened capacity and diversified livelihoods. To further contribute to the resilience of farming households and communities, more projects are needed to help strengthen farming groups, raise technical capacity, develop value chain opportunities for local businesses and improve the nutrition of women and children through utilization of more nutritious crops.