Activity under preparation Enhancing Food Security and Resilience of Rural Communities in Northern and Kassala States Contract related to: Enhancing Food Security and Resilience of Rural Communities in Northern and Kassala States  - As part of the Team Europe Initiative on Enhancing Food Security and Resilience of Rural communities in Sudan, the action will take place in the most food insecure areas of Darfur, West and South Kordofan, Gedaref, Sinnar, Kassala, Red Sea, Northern States and Blue Nile. The action will aim at increasing food security and at protecting livelihoods by focusing on agro ecological practices. This approach is in line with the European Union (EU) Farm to Fork policy and will contribute to reduce Sudan¿s dependence from importing agriculture inputs and to alleviate the pressure on natural resources. The main beneficiaries are smallholder farmers, herders and fishermen and their respective associations, communities and households, including IDPs and refugees.The focus will be on existing local (short) value chains including livestock, staple, fruit and protein-plants, whose sustainability (environmental, social and economic) will be improved in view of increasing resilience and enhancing profitability for smallholder producers. The action will improve availability and access to healthy diets for the rural population. It will also create decent and sustainable job opportunities for youths, including refugees and IDPs, to counter rural exodus, irregular migration and enrolment in militias.Particular emphasis will be placed on natural resource management with a specific focus on watershed management in some specific areas of intervention as for example Wadi El Ku area of North Darfur. In a country deeply affected by climate change and desertification, it is essential to manage access to land, water and pasture in order to ensure food security and at the same time manage potential conflicts between host and displaced communities as well as farmers and herders.The action will be part of the overall strategy of the European Union in Sudan for 2022, complementing the school feeding program activities of the Education intervention and the nutrition activities of the Health intervention. The agro value chain reinforcement will aim at increasing the availability of&nbsp;nutritious food on the local markets.&nbsp;The triple nexus humanitarian-development-peace has been embedded as a key component of this Action that has identified agri-food value chains as a key vector to food security and sustainable growth and jobs. Water and land are vital elements for promoting peace among central, regional and local parties and for determining inclusive socio-economic development. The Action will be based on an integrated territorial approach.The overall objective of the action is to contribute to sustainable livelihoods and food security in rural communities most affected by food insecurity, climate change and conflicts.The Specific Objectives/Outcomes of this action are to:1. Sustainably increase productivity and profitability of smallholder agriculture and livestock nutritious short value chains using agro ecological practices adapted to climate change2. Increase sustainable and decent jobs opportunities for both genders within the youth in displacement affected rural and food insecure areas.3. Increase equal and sustainable access to natural resources in order to contribute to food security and mitigate conflicts and allow the voluntary return of conflict-displaced people....