The African Development Bank Group has approved an $87 million grant to help strengthen food production and rural livelihoods in Sudan, where conflict, climate shocks, and economic instability continue to push millions into worsening food insecurity.
The support will go into the Boosting Agrifood Systems Resilience Project (BOOST), a $100 million initiative aimed at helping farmers produce more food, reduce losses after harvest, and rebuild basic agricultural activity in affected communities.
The project will focus on key farming regions such as Blue Nile, Sennar, and Kassala, areas that are not only important for national food production but also home to large numbers of displaced families.
In practical terms, farmers are expected to receive improved seeds, better farming methods, and climate-smart tools to increase yields. There will also be investment in storage and processing so that less food is lost after harvest, and more can reach markets in better condition. A key part of the programme is also directed at women and young people, giving them access to training, finance, and digital tools to start small agribusinesses.
The project is expected to reach over 1.2 million people, including more than 232,000 farming households, while also creating jobs across rural communities.
The Bank is funding the programme partly by redirecting unused resources from earlier cancelled operations, allowing support to reach urgent needs faster.
As one official from the Bank, David Muthusi Mutuku, simply put it: “At a time of profound hardship, this project offers a path to recovery.”
In a country still struggling with instability and hunger, the intervention is less about long-term planning on paper and more about something immediate, helping people grow food, earn income, and stabilise daily life again.
