6.7 million people in Sudan need aid despite good harvest

While Sudan was likely to reap a reasonably good harvest in 2005-2006, almost seven million people would still require food aid over the coming year, two UN food agencies said Friday.

in 2005, provision of seeds and tools by humanitarian agencies benefited a large number of needy farmers. A WFP road rehabilitation project in the south has increased trade, especially between Uganda and the state of Central Equatoria, and between Kenya and the state of Eastern Equatoria.

But attacks by the Ugandan rebel Lord's Resistance Army in the south/southeast remain a constant threat to any return to normal living and some key roads remain impassable thereby inhibiting large-scale trade.

WFP plans to mobilise and distribute 731,000 tonnes of food to more than six million people across Sudan in 2006. Full story (AKI) 17 Feb 2006.