STORY: Sudan highlights commitment to achieving food security on World Food Day
SHOOTING TIME: Oct. 16, 2024
DATELINE: Oct. 17, 2024
LENGTH: 0:01:52
LOCATION: Khartoum
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. Sudanese displaced citizens getting free bread from a charity bakery
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): ABU ZAR AL-HAJ, Projects Manager of the Human Appeal
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): AMIRA MOHAMED, Sudanese citizen
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): MUBARAK OMER, Sudanese citizen
5. SOUNDBITE 4 (Arabic): SABRI HASSAN, Sudanese citizen

STORYLINE:

The Sudanese Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on Wednesday stressed in a statement its commitment to achieving food security, as the country has been embroiled in a humanitarian crisis caused by a deadly civil conflict since mid-April 2023.

The statement was released on the occasion of World Food Day, observed annually on October 16.
   
"Despite that the (civil) war significantly affected some agricultural areas, provision of food remained a priority for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry," the statement said.

According to the statement, 39 million feddans (40.48 million acres) of fields were farmed in the country, with 17 million feddans dedicated to corn, the staple food for most Sudanese citizens.
   
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs underscored the ongoing food shortage affecting the population, saying on social media platform X that "over 18 months into the Sudan conflict, the crisis continues to break tragic records, with half the population facing acute food insecurity and all 18 states reporting alarming malnutrition rates."

In the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, residents rely on community initiatives to provide food to those in need.

The Charity Bread project, launched by the Human Appeal, a non-profit organization working across the globe, which provides free bread for the needy at the displaced shelters in Omdurman city, north of the capital Khartoum, comes at the forefront of such community initiatives.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): ABU ZAR AL-HAJ, Projects Manager of the Human Appeal
"This project is a charity bakery. We produce approximately 12,650 pieces of bread daily to suffice 1,522 families."

Meanwhile, citizens from Omdurman, stressed the importance of such community initiatives in mitigating the negative effects of war.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): AMIRA MOHAMED, Sudanese citizen
"We are in dire need of the food supplies provided to us by this organization, and it has not failed us."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): MUBARAK OMER, Sudanese citizen
"Of course, the bread bag is very important for any family. The war circumstances are known and the situation is difficult for workers and employees who have lost their jobs, and therefore, when they get a bag of bread, it is the most important thing indeed."

SOUNDBITE 4 (Arabic): SABRI HASSAN, Sudanese citizen
"This is a very nice initiative. It is good for people to support each other. People live in bad conditions and there are so many hungry mouths."

A violent conflict has persisted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 15, 2023, resulting in approximately 20,000 deaths, thousands of injuries, and the displacement of millions in the country, according to UN estimates.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Khartoum.
(XHTV)