Influence of International Humanitarian Organizations on Food Security Among Rural Communities in Malakal County, South Sudan

Abstract

Since the outbreak of the civil war in South Sudan in 2013, just 2 years after gaining independence from the larger Sudan, agricultural production and normal livelihood was disrupted for the locals in most affected region. In 2017 the UN declared that there was famine in South Sudan affecting more than 5.5 million people in the country. For a while now, a number of international organizations have been selling the message of hope to locals and to the international platforms appealing for more funds to aid in the situation of food security in South Sudan, they include the Oxfam, World Vision, CARE, Norwegian Refugee Council, UNICEF, Action Against Hunger, Sudan Relief Fund among other, some have been in the country since 2011. This study seeks to investigate the influence of international humanitarian organizations, on food security among rural communities in Malakal County, South Sudan.The study objectives will be (i) The influence of international humanitarian organizations on food availability among rural communities in Malakal County, South Sudan. (ii) The influence of international humanitarian organizations on access to food among rural communities in Malakal County, South Sudan. (iii) The influence of international humanitarian organizations on food utilization among rural communities in Malakal County, South Sudan. The study adopted a descriptive research design. It will have a sample of 307 respondents composed of 185 local beneficiaries and 107 locals non beneficiaries on food aid humanitarian assistance and 15 focus group discussion participants. The data will be collected through a blend of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Semi structured questionnaires will be used to collect field (primary) data on 185 aid assistance respondents using systematic sampling. Interviews will be carried out on surrounding with 10 Focus Group Discussions will be held with beneficiaries and 5 with non-beneficiaries’ members. The respondents will be sampled through purposive sampling. Secondary data will be gathered from published sources. The outcome of this research will give real understandings to legislators, developers, aid agencies and policymakers by what means towards reduction of poverty design programs which include securing food through agricultural means and fishing methods to boost the living condition of vulnerable households in Malakal County. Key TermsFood security, humanitarian organizations, county governments, Influence of international organizations Introduction According to Barrett & Lentz (2010), food security is both fundamentally and instrumentally significant, but it is inherently unobservable and difficult to describe. Food provides nutrients that humans require physiologically. As a result, food is an essential component of performance and well-being. Consequently, food security is a goal in many development programs, projects, and policies. Apart from its physiological requirement, food is also a source of enjoyment. It's difficult to pin down precise, operationalizable indicators of food security because biological needs for food and emotional fulfilment from food differ dramatically between and within societies. Furthermore, food security comprises more than just one's current nutritional state; it also includes vulnerability to future disruptions in one's availability to adequate and suitable food (Barrett, 2002). International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 13, Issue 1, January 2023 375 ISSN 2250-3153 This publication is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY. http://dx.doi.org/10.29322/IJSRP.13.01.2023.p13347 www.ijsrp.org According to the current prevailing definition, which was agreed upon at the 1996 World Food Summit, "A situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life," When this criterion is not met, food insecurity occurs. Of course, the world has only known food insecurity by that standard (Barrett & Lentz, 2010). Humanitarian assistance is important as it is the reason why life is saved. Agencies mount response when huge number of people are affected by any calamity such as crises, disasters, or conflicts. The major aim of aid assistance is loss of life prevention, and this is the principle aim of humanitarian aid in South Sudan. Aids play a vital role in impact limiting, loss of life and suffering caused by conflict by providing food to the needy. There are many ranges of projects run and set up by humanitarian agencies targeting vulnerable group basic needs and supporting in regaining back to the normal life. It is significant that any population hit by any disaster or conflict should be assisted with humanitarian aid. The impact of disaster on communities is significantly possible to reduce through humanitarian effective action. Humanitarian assistance is helpful in plummeting the number of deaths after the onset of the crises. When aid is funded well, responding agencies plays an essential role in live saving and probably one of the reasons aids is vital in third world countries. South Sudanese citizens had high expectations following the attaining of independence from the larger Sudan, among them included the efficiency and performance of the national government of South Sudan. This would in turn reduce the level of dependency on humanitarian aid and their related activities. A number of agencies including the United Nations agencies were keen on emergency response after the 2013 outbreak of conflict instead of capacity building for nation building. Margulis (2021) argues, “are there characteristics of a regime complex that increase or decrease the likelihood of intervention? Food security is governed by a complex of partially overlapping international agreements and intergovernmental organizations (IOs) that govern how food is produced, distributed, and accessed on a global scale. It's a complicated regime that includes numerous elemental regimes agriculture and food, humanitarian aid, human rights, international trade, climate change, and development finance as well as IOs with various objectives” (Margulis 2013; Breitmeier et al. 2020). Historically, UN institutions such as the FAO and WFP were in charge of global food security governance, with the common goal of ending hunger (Shaw 2007). “However, the regime complex for food security now includes IOs with far more diverse missions and goals, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), whose primary goal is to liberalize international trade, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), whose primary goal is to promote and protect human rights. While these objectives may be mutually beneficial in some situations, they may contradict in others” (Margulis, 2021). Food insecurity has been disastrous in Somalia, a politically unstable country in the eastern Horn of Africa. Somalia's crops and cattle were destroyed in 2011 owing to a drought, and the famine was labelled a humanitarian calamity. Food has become a rare and expensive commodity as the drought has extended into 2012, resulting in a shortage of food and water, as well as rising inflation and political instability. The famine has disproportionately harmed children and pregnant women. Despite the fact that agricultural conditions have improved, and Somalia has received foreign aid, 2.51 million people remain food insecure. Haiti is another country that faces food insecurity. In a society where the average person earns two dollars per day, high inflation has led food prices to rise. In addition, much of Haiti's food is imported, resulting in higher food prices. Many people cannot afford to buy food, and they are battling to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of the numerous tropical storms that have lately ravaged the country. Because of historical corruption, many governmental organizations are hesitant to provide aid to Haiti, however the country does get some assistance from non-governmental organizations (NGOs). In a study conducted by FAO (2013) they found out cereals, particularly wheat, are the most widely grown crops, followed by barley, rice, cotton, vegetables, and fruit trees. “In all countries, forages are essential, and they are primarily intercropped with date palm. Date palms, mangoes, citrus, grapes, and fruit trees such as figs, mulberries, pomegranate, and olives are the most prevalent horticultural crops in the tree layer, all of which are native and well adapted to desert and Mediterranean climatic conditions. The majority of countries with a strong agricultural foundation export some of their produce. Certain countries, such as Jordan, are pursuing an ambitious agricultural modernisation agenda that includes bringing more area under irrigation and increasing sector privatization. However, several issues, such as marketing and access to inputs and loans, continue to stymie agricultural progress. In 2009, country-level self-sufficiency ratios in total cereals ranged from 3 to 81 percent, indicating that imports accounted for a major share of the sub-total region's available food” (FAO, 2013). International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 13, Issue 1, January 2023 376 ISSN 2250-3153 This publication is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY. http://dx.doi.org/10.29322/IJSRP.13.01.2023.p13347 www.ijsrp.org According to CSRF (n.d.), Malakal County is one of the few regions in South Sudan that employs large-scale mechanized farming. Although these operations have been hampered since the onset of violence in 2013. Cattle, goats, and sheep are kept by wealthier families. Fishing is primarily done in the wetlands near the conclusion of the rainy season and beginning of the dry season. Pastoralists' and their cattle's seasonal migration around the region can be a cause of conflict over p