German development agency GIZ said on Friday that its projects are supporting 34,500 households in South Sudan, as it reaffirms its commitment to improving food security and rural livelihoods amid persistent conflict and climate-related challenges.
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) made the statement during a World Food Day event in Yambio, Western Equatoria State, organised by the state government, non-governmental organisations and development partners.
Farmers supported by GIZ projects exhibited and sold fruit tree seedlings at the event, sharing knowledge on planting techniques and tree care. The event also featured discussions and exhibitions of locally produced crops and agricultural innovations.
World Food Day is observed annually on Oct. 16. The 2026 theme was “Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow.”
South Sudan relies heavily on agriculture for rural livelihoods, but food production and access to food are affected by conflict, displacement, erratic rainfall, prolonged dry spells, flooding, limited access to agricultural inputs and weak market links.
GIZ said its work in the country focuses on improving agricultural production, nutrition, income-generating opportunities and the sustainable management of natural resources to help communities withstand economic and climate-related shocks.
The agency implements its Food and Nutrition Security and Management of Natural Resources (FONA) project, funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and its Community Driven Rural Development (CDRD) project, funded by BMZ, the Netherlands and the European Union.
The projects work with smallholder farmers, communities, local institutions, non-governmental organisations and development partners to address challenges related to food production, nutrition, natural resources and rural livelihoods.
GIZ said the projects directly benefited 34,500 households, reaching up to 310,500 people in South Sudan.
The agency called on government institutions, development partners, humanitarian organisations, civil society and the private sector to increase investment in agriculture, local food systems, rural infrastructure and community resilience.
GIZ is a German federal enterprise that supports international cooperation for sustainable development. In South Sudan, it works on agricultural development, food and nutrition security, rural livelihoods, natural resource management, water access and community resilience on behalf of the German government.
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