Ibrahim Ahmed Al-Dukhairi, Director General of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD), said that the competent organizations of the League of Arab States approved an initiative to address challenges facing food security and the increasing agricultural and social crises, in light of the wars in Ukraine and Sudan.
In comments to Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Dukhairi noted that the secretary-general of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, decided to support AOAD’s initiative, with Arab financial institutions, in implementation of the decisions of the Arab summit, with the aim of “taking advantage of the enormous agricultural capabilities of Sudan and some Arab countries.”
The senior official acknowledged the exacerbation of difficulties related to food security, following the rise in the prices of grains and animal and agricultural products, especially in light of the wars taking place in several Arab and African countries and different regions of the world, and the escalation of tension between Russia and NATO countries on the one hand, and the war inside Sudan on the other.
Al-Dukhairi stated that Sudan alone was able to cover “most of the needs of Arab and African countries in terms of animal and vegetable food products, if a minimum level of stability is guaranteed.”
He explained that the devastating war in Sudan has not affected agricultural and food production, as clashes were limited to Khartoum and Darfur, and did not extend to provinces and agricultural areas.
However, he warned of the dangers of the continued rebellion in the country, and its negative impact on the harvest season and the movement of animal and agricultural products to the eight neighboring countries, including Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia, Chad, Kenya, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
According to Al-Dukhairi, the initiative of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development aims to strengthen the efforts of Arab, African and international capitals to protect agricultural production and secure its transport to citizens inside Sudan and to all Arab and African countries, who are facing increasing difficulties in securing their food needs due to the Ukraine war, high temperatures, pollution, and creeping desertification.
