Co-organized by IFPRI and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), In collaboration with World Food Programme (WFP), Sponsored by United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
12:00AM TO 10:00AM EST
TO
The conflict in Sudan has persisted since April 2023, with the violence intensifying in December 2023. As of February 2024, the crisis has displaced more than 7.8 million people internally, with an additional 1.7 million seeking refuge across borders. The violence has now spread into parts of central and eastern Sudan that were initially considered safe havens, resulting in more displacement, and further increasing pressure on states in eastern Sudan.
Historically, conflict has been one of the major drivers of food insecurity in Sudan. The current situation is no different: by the first quarter of 2023, 34 percent of Sudan’s population—more than 16.2 million people—were food insecure. As a result of the ongoing clashes and economic deterioration in several parts of the country, an estimated 17.7 million people, or 37 percent of the population, experienced acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above) between October 2023 and February 2024. There is an urgent need to strengthen Sudan's resilience systems to protect the vulnerable and ultimately lay the groundwork to develop a more inclusive society and economy in a safer, more stable context.
The Sudan Strategy Support Program (SSSP) of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has been at the forefront of this crisis, providing policy and program recommendations to development and humanitarian agencies. IFPRI’s current activities in Sudan include a wide range of conflict-related studies that use various methodologies to assess the status of food security, poverty, agro-processing, forced migration patterns, and livelihoods of Sudanese citizens. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is also working in Sudan to address multisectoral early recovery needs, with a specific focus on restoring cohesion across communities and social contracts with local leadership.
IFPRI and UNDP have partnered on wide-ranging and in-depth analysis to better understand the socioeconomic impact of the war in Sudan, and to inform policy and programmatic recommendations. The ongoing work includes quantitative analysis using primary data collected through surveys in rural and urban areas for both households and micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME), following the start of the conflict. The joint research effort also uses economywide analyses to estimate the economic and regional implications of Sudan’s conflict. The ongoing research aims to yield insights on a wide range of topics, including poverty, food security, coping and livelihood strategies, income sources, employment dynamics, household demographics, and migration patterns, as well as the role of social protection in mitigating the shocks.
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Program
Opening remarks (IFPRI, UNDP, USAID)
Moderator: Oliver Kirui, Research Fellow IFPRI
Paul Dorosh, Director of Development Strategy & Governance Unit, IFPRI
Thair Shraideh, Sudan Country Resident Representative, UNDP
Loren Stoddard, Acting Mission Director, USAID Sudan
An Overview of Current Situation in Sudan amidst the ongoing conflict; The Role of Research in Informing Interventions
Khalid Siddig, Senior Research Fellow and Leader of IFPRI’s Sudan Strategy Support Program (Watch video) (See presentation)
Panel Discussion 1: Evidence-based Research for Policy and Programming in Times of Conflict
Moderator: Clemens Breisinger, Senior Research Fellow and Leader of IFPRI’s Kenya Strategy Support Program
Khalid Siddig, Senior Research Fellow and Leader of IFPRI’s Sudan Strategy Support Program
Vito Intini, IGEF Team Leader and Regional Lead Economist at UNDP
Menale Kassie, Principal Scientist and Head of Social Sciences & Impact Assessment Unit, ICIPE
Research Session A | Implications of the conflict: from micro to macro levels
Chair: Leni Kinzli, Head of Communications, WFP
Drivers and of impact of Sudan’s conflict: evidence from micro and macro level assessments
Hala Abushama, Research Assistant Sudan Strategy Support Program, IFPRI (Watch video) (See presentation)
Monitoring economic activities in times of conflict: the role of satellite imagery and remote sensing
Vito Intini, UNDP
Food security situation before and during the conflict: findings from household surveys
Fredrik Svensson, Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping Officer, WFP (Watch video) (See presentation)
Panel Discussion 2: Development Interventions and Implementation in Times of Conflict
Moderator: Karin Ruf, UNDP
Adam Yao Adam Yao, Sudan Deputy Country Representative, FAO
Billy MWIINGA, Head of Sudan WFP Coordination Office in Nairobi, WFP
Slobodan Tadic, Senior Crisis Coordinator, UNDP
Ruben Vellenga, Chief of External Relations, UNICEF
Mohammed Abdelmomen, Sudan Country Representative, UNIDO
Research Session B | Mechanisms for building resilience and support
Chair: Paul Dorosh, Director of Development Strategy & Governance Unit, IFPRI
Shocks, coping and livelihood strategies: recommendations from household surveys
Oliver Kirui, Research Fellow, IFPRI (Watch video) (See presentation)
Trends of vulnerability and resilience in Sudan: a pre-conflict overview
Youssef Chaitani, Chief of Section, Risk Prevention, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA) (Watch video) (See presentation)
Interventions and assistance for resilience building in conflict settings: approaches and challenges
Billy Mwiinga, Head of Sudan WFP Coordination Office in Nairobi, WFP (Watch video) (See presentation)
Access to technologies and inputs and farmers’ intentions during conflicts
Moses Siambi, Regional Representative for Africa, CIMMYT; Monica Fischer, Senior Scientist, Gender Equity and Social Inclusion, CIMMYT (Watch video)
Research Session C | Agricultural productivity, market access, and international support
Chair: Alemayehu Seyoum Taffesse
Market access, prices, and employment: insights from household and farmers surveys
Mosab Ahmed, Research Assistant Sudan Strategy Support Program, IFPRI (Watch video) (See presentation)
Economywide and regional implications of Sudan’s conflict: single country and global analyses
Vito Intini, IGEF Team Leader and Regional Lead Economist, UNDP
The impact of revitalizing agricultural productivity and fostering international support
Khalid Siddig, SRF & Sudan Country Program Leader, IFPRI (Watch video) (See presentation)
Panel Discussion 3: Bridging Perspectives: How to link development solutions and research to support interventions during the conflict
Moderator: Jawhara Kanu, United States Institute of Peace
Paul Dorosh, Director of Development Strategy & Governance Unit, IFPRI.
Amel Wagdi, Gen-eral Manger, Mahjoub Sons Group
Robert Vokes, Senior Program Development Advisor, Mercy Corps
Abubaker Omer, Chief Strategy Officer, Sharik Foundation
Murtada Kamal, CEO, Sudan Platform for Agriculture and Food Security
Closing Remarks and Outlook
Khalid Siddig, Sudan Country Program Leader, IFPRI
Thair Shraideh, Sudan Country Resident Representative, UNDP.
