The conflict in Sudan has severely impacted the food security landscape in rural areas, profoundly affecting household diets, coping strategies, and overall food insecurity levels. A study conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the World Food Program (WFP) highlights the dire food consumption patterns, the prevalence of food insecurity, and the reliance on coping strategies among the rural population of Sudan.
Data from a national rural household phone survey conducted between October 2023 and January 2024 reveal that nearly 40 percent of rural households were consuming inadequate diets. West Kordofan, South Kordofan, North Darfur, East Darfur, and Sennar states experienced the highest prevalence of poor food consumption. The primary components of diets were cereals and oils, with nutrient-rich foods, such as meats and fruits, consumed less frequently, highlighting a critical gap in nutritional adequacy.
Households across Sudan have resorted to a range of coping strategies to meet their food needs, such as buying less preferred or less expensive food, limiting portion sizes, or reducing the number of meals consumed per day. The five coping mechanisms examined in the analysis were implemented with approximately similar frequencies across rural Sudan. However, the situation was particularly dire in West Darfur, South Kordofan, and Khartoum, which recorded the highest prevalence of inadequate diets and the highest reduced Coping Strategy Index (rCSI) scores.
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