Factors Influencing Delivery of Humanitarian Assistance Programme: the Case of Food and Agriculture Organization in South Sudan Bor County Jonglei State

Abstract

Despite significant efforts to address food security and nutrition issues globally, food shortages, climate shocks, a deepening economic crisis, insecurity and insufficient agricultural production at household level have kept levels of hunger and acute malnutrition alarmingly high. As the majority of South Sudanese have agriculture-based livelihoods which cannot be maintained once displaced, these communities become extremely vulnerable. This study therefore sought to establish the factors influencing delivery of humanitarian assistance programme: the case of Food and Agriculture Organization in South Sudan Bor County Jonglei State. The research was conducted in Bor County which is one among eleven counties of former Jonglei state in Republic of South Sudan. The study specifically focused on the extent to which conflict management, level of education, flood management, long period of famine and road infrastructure influence delivery of humanitarian assistance programme. This study used descriptive survey research design. The target population for this study was 370 comprising of the Food and Agriculture Organization programme staff and beneficiaries comprising of programme managers, programme committee members, field officers and community leaders. The sample size for this study is 296 determined using Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table of sampling. Stratified sampling methods were used for the selection of the study respondents. Self-administered questionnaires were employed to get primary data. The questionnaire was administered using a drop and pick later method to the sampled respondents. Before processing the responses, data preparation was done on the completed questionnaires by editing, coding, entering and cleaning the data. The quantitative data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentages, mean and standard deviation. Data analysis was done with help of software programme SPSS version 25.0. Content analysis was used in processing of qualitative data from open ended questions and results presented in prose form. The results were presented using tables. The study found that conflict management (composite mean =3.539, sub-composite standard deviation=0.726), level of education (composite mean=3.587, composite standard deviation =0.749), and flood management (composite mean =3.741, composite standard deviation = 0.750) influenced food and agriculture organization in delivery humanitarian assistance programme in South Sudan to a great extent.The study also found that long period of famine (composite mean=3.375, composite standard deviations =0.739); and road infrastructure (composite mean =3.452, composite standard deviation = 0.714) influenced delivery of humanitarian assistance programme in South Sudan to a moderate extent.The research also found that the delivery of humanitarian assistance programme by food and agriculture organization had been constant for the last five years (composite mean =3.361, composite standard deviation of 0.737). The study concluded that conflict management had the greatest influence on Delivery of humanitarian assistance programme in South Sudan followed by level of education, then road infrastructure, then long period of famine while flood management had the least influence on the Delivery of humanitarian assistance programme in South Sudan. The study recommends that academic qualification should be the key determinant of the job designation, responsibilities and tasks given since the more one is academically qualified, the more responsibilities and complex the tasks assigned. The communities should adopt some form of coping mechanism to reduce the effects of the flooding in their area. The government should formulate a good road infrastructure policy that will enhance the delivery of humanitarian assistance.