Sudan, WFP sign agreement on Sudan family support programme
The Government of Sudan and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support the government’s Family Support program that will provide Sudanese families direct cash transfers.
The Sudanese Minister for Finance and Economic Planning (MoFEP) Dr. Ibrahim Elbadawi and WFP Sudan’s Representative and Country Director Hameed Nuru signed the MoU in the presence of Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and the WFP Executive Director David Beasley.
Under the Sudan Family Support Programme, the Sudanese Government will provide direct cash transfers each month to support vulnerable families as part of its efforts to mitigate the effects of the ongoing economic difficulties. The multi-ministerial programme, led by the MoFEP, is expected to start in the second half of the year with financing from the Government of Sudan and partners.
''The Family Support Programme is one of the Transitional Government’s greatest undertakings and will be a major dividend of the December Revolution. It will provide direct cash transfers to around 80 percent of Sudanese families to support them through the challenging economic circumstances currently facing Sudan,'' Minister Elbadawi stated.
The Government of Sudan estimates that 65 percent of the population live below the poverty line. The already dire food security situation is likely to worsen with the adverse socio-economic impacts of COVID-19, with the closure of nonessential businesses, coupled with rapidly rising food prices.
''The programme will be key to safeguarding people at risk of slipping into extreme poverty,'' said Nuru. “Our steady partnership with donors like United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is what enables us to provide critical assistance. We are grateful to have such generous partners.''
According to the MoU, WFP will support the Government to develop a cash transfer delivery and payments system, and a complaints and feedback mechanism - including a call centre - to support recipients of the programme.
''The platform developed for the Sudan Family Support Programme will allow efficient and accountable digital delivery of a broad range of social protection and other Government services to the People of Sudan,'' said Nuru.
