The Impact of Early Warning System of Food Security Program:On the Decision Making Process at the Red Sea State-Sudan

This study assessed the impact of the early warning system on food security at the Red Sea State with emphasis on the welfare of the vulnerable groups in the state. Primary data collection involved both quantitative and qualitative data generated from different localities of RSS which represented its agro ecological zones. A questionnaire was designed to include specific details on early warning systems and early warning indicators, functions, challenges and gaps facing the EWS from the perspective of EWS team. Questions also included local perception and coping mechanisms with disasters. The questionnaire was administered for assessing early warning system indicators, community preparedness for food crisis and response to crisis by decision makers and Food Security Committee (FSC) at State level. The questionnaire and interviews were carried out for EWS team in Port Sudan town. Data was analyzed using SPSS. The main results of this study show that the EWS team perspective on food security alleviation was low as the whole system used to depend on the central government reserves and mobilization of food aid during the crisis. EWS team think that the need for EWS arises from large numbers of factors associated with climate which led to deterioration of natural resources linked to low productivity and poor governance. Lack of funding constituted the most significant gap facing EWS in RSS. This could be attributed to lack of commitment by state government to allocate funds in its financial and development plans for EWS in addition to lack of long donors funding commitment. Remoteness of vulnerable communities and the wider geographical coverage needed for assistance was also mentioned as a factor for widening gaps. The EWS team clearly indicated that the response to food security crises was very slow and there was a real gap between information availability and the actual response to the crisis. The EWS team strongly suggested that the political commitment of local governments to EWS and strengthening coordination between relevant stakeholders at state level together with other factors were among strong measures to be taken to activate the existing EWS. Local community preparedness to food security problems lied in its ability to manipulate the local reserve and develop other coping mechanisms earlier before the crises.

Red Sea University

Unpublished