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Diversity crop production during the rainy season has potential of dramatically reducing acute food insecurity in Darfur. An EC funded program of the Danish Refugee Council targeting conflict affected rural communities, rises hopes that the potato can become the key to limiting hunger gaps in the region.
The Darfur region in Sudan is situated in a fragile ecosystem that has been deteriorating over the years. Lack of natural resources and environmental degradation are among the causes of the conflict and political instability that since 2003 has caused the death of more than 200.000 people and forced more than three million people to flee.
The Danish Refugee Council, DRC has operated in West Darfur since August 2004. Among the current programs is a Livelihood Diversity and Enterprise Development Project funded by EC, targeting non-camp conflict affected rural communities in West Darfur. Part of the action has been supporting the farmers in beating the odds in diversifying crop production specifically by rainy season potato production.
“For the very first time ever in the history of West Darfur, potatoes were grown during rainy season and they yielded very well in most of the target communities. The success has led to the understanding that the seasonal potato production can become a key source of food during the hunger gaps and could reduce acute food insecurity,” says Santa Abiria, DRC Darfur Project Manager.
Hadija is one of the female beneficiaries, she did not only benefit by increasing food security for herself and her family, her income from selling the surplus production enabled her to buy a cow and much needed household items such as mattress and utensils.
Other beneficiaries have acquired goats, donkey ploughs and donkeys, paid tuition for their school-going children and expanded their market vending businesses.
“Apart from having a high income earning capacity, potatoes have proved their worth as food security crop in West Darfur. This has been noticed by the farmers not yet part of the action, who are now jamming our office in Zalingei seeking support to grow the miracle crop the ‘potato’. Also the Ministry of Agriculture in Zalingei has recognized the potential for drastically reducing acute food insecurity,” says Santa Abiria.
The successful rainy season potato production supported by DRC, the Agricultural Research Cooperation of Sudan has lead to the opening of a centre in Zalingei to increase the summer potato production in Lower Jebel Mara area (covering Zalingie, Azoum. Wadi Salih, Fase and Umshalaya areas).
DRC activities in West Darfur include, among other things, implementing protection and livelihood programs, small infrastructure development like construction of schools and Community Centers, humanitarian interventions such as food aid, basic Non-Food Items and agricultural inputs like seed, tools and vocational skills. Currently DRC actions in Darfur target 42,000 IDPs and 34,000 rural households in the Wadi Salih, Zalingei, Azoum and Jebel Mara regions of Darfur.
