Exchange of Notes for Grant Aid (Food Aid) through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) for the Republic of the Sudan

December 19, 2007

The Government of Japan has decided to extend grant aid (food aid) of 1 billion yen through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to the Republic of the Sudan, which has vulnerable groups such as internally displaced persons (IDP), women and children facing chronic food shortage caused by civil war, drought, and poverty. Notes to this effect were exchanged on December 18 (Tue) (local time: same day) in Khartoum (capital of the Sudan) between Mr. Hideaki Yamamoto, Japanese Charge’d Affaires ad interim to the Sudan, and Mr. Kenro Oshidari, Senior WFP Sudan Representative and Regional Director.
The Sudan, one of the poorest nations in the world, ranked 141th out of 177 nations in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) human development index (HDI) in 2006. Although the Sudan is the largest country in the African continent, its land has been damaged and it faces serious food shortage because of the North-South civil war which lasted for more than 20 years and created more than 2 million victims and 4 million IDPs. The Darfur conflict, which erupted in 2003 between the government forces and rebel groups, still continues despite the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) in 2006. According to 2007 survey results, about 2.9 million people still need food assistance. The civil war not only severely reduced harvests of food crops but badly affected food distribution through the destruction of infrastructure and frequent droughts. Most of the IDPs are still reluctant to return home because of the disrupted farming.
Japan already granted 970 million yen for food aid via the WFP for the Sudan in July this year. As the food shortage is still severe there, which is suffering from the Darfur issue, the “world’s worst humanitarian crisis,” the Government of Japan will provide further food assistance in response to a WFP request from a humanitarian viewpoint. This additional assistance from the Government of Japan is expected to contribute to alleviating food shortage in the Sudan.

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