Hatem Abdelhamid stands among his date palms in northern Sudan, observing the impact of a prolonged power outage caused by the ongoing conflict. The absence of electrical power has jeopardized irrigation, leading to substantial crop losses and exacerbating the nation's food crisis.
"I've lost 70 to 75 percent of my crops this year," Abdelhamid remarked, viewing the withering palms in Tanqasi, a village on the Nile in Sudan's Northern State. "I'm trying really hard to keep the rest of the crops alive," he conveyed to AFP.
The agricultural sector in Sudan, already strained by conflict for two years and an economic downturn, now faces intensified challenges from widespread power outages. Since hostilities erupted between the regular army and the Rapid Support Forces in April 2023, power plants have suffered continuous damage, depriving farms of water due to failing irrigation systems that depend on electricity. This disruption has lasted "for over two months."
Historically, agriculture has been the mainstay for 80% of Sudan's population, as per the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization. However, now in its third year of conflict, over half the population encounters severe food insecurity, with famine affecting regions in the west, center, and south. The infrastructure has faced destruction, with millions displaced and fatalities in large numbers.
Critical insights from a 2024 joint study by the United Nations Development Programme and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) highlight that almost a third of rural homes have lost irrigation and water access amid the conflict. With electricity compromised, Abdelhamid and other farmers resort to diesel-powered pumps—a costly alternative given fuel scarcity, as prices have surged over twentyfold since the war began.
The rising costs threaten sustainability, as demonstrated by farmer Abdelhalim Ahmed. "I used to spend 10,000 Sudanese pounds for irrigation each time," Ahmed mentioned. "Now it costs me 150,000 pounds as there is no electricity," he explained to AFP. With repeated harvest failures and limited access to seeds, fertilizers, and fuel, farmers face barriers in replanting.
The FAO, as of April, highlighted risks of food insecurity due to "below average rainfall," projecting further economic burdens per a June study by IFPRI, signaling possible contraction in agriculture by over a third.
"Our analysis shows massive income losses across all households and a sharp rise in poverty, especially in rural areas and among women," stated Khalid Siddig, senior research fellow at IFPRI.
Source - https://www.freshplaza.com
