Since the outbreak of the civil war in South Sudan in 2013, just 2 years after gaining independence from the larger Sudan, agricultural production and normal livelihood was disrupted for the locals in most affected region. In 2017 the UN declared that there was famine in South Sudan affecting more than 5.5 million people in the country. For a while now, a number of international organizations have been selling the message of hope to locals and to the international platforms appealing for more funds to aid in the situation of food security in South Sudan, they include the Oxfam, World Vision, CARE, Norwegian Refugee Council, UNICEF, Action Against Hunger, Sudan Relief Fund among other, some have been in the country since 2011. This study seeks to investigate the influence of international humanitarian organizations, on food security among rural communities in Malakal County, South Sudan.The study objectives will be (i) The influence of international humanitarian organizations on food availability among rural communities in Malakal County, South Sudan. (ii) The influence of international humanitarian organizations on access to food among rural communities in Malakal County, South Sudan. (iii) The influence of international humanitarian organizations on food utilization among rural communities in Malakal County, South Sudan. The study adopted a descriptive research design. It will have a sample of 307 respondents composed of 185 local beneficiaries and 107 locals non beneficiaries on food aid humanitarian assistance and 15 focus group discussion participants. The data will be collected through a blend of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Semi structured questionnaires will be used to collect field (primary) data on 185 aid assistance respondents using systematic sampling. Interviews will be carried out on surrounding with 10 Focus Group Discussions will be held with beneficiaries and 5 with non-beneficiaries’ members. The respondents will be sampled through purposive sampling. Secondary data will be gathered from published sources. The outcome of this research will give real understandings to legislators, developers, aid agencies and policymakers by what means towards reduction of poverty design programs which include securing food through agricultural means and fishing methods to boost the living condition of vulnerable households in Malakal County.

According to Barrett & Lentz (2010), food security is both fundamentally and instrumentally significant, but it is inherently unobservable and difficult to describe. Food provides nutrients that humans require physiologically. As a result, food is an essential component of performance and well-being. Consequently, food security is a goal in many development programs, projects, and policies. Apart from its physiological requirement, food is also a source of enjoyment. It's difficult to pin down precise, operationalizable indicators of food security because biological needs for food and emotional fulfilment from food differ dramatically between and within societies. Furthermore, food security comprises more than just one's current nutritional state; it also includes vulnerability to future disruptions in one's availability to adequate and suitable food (Barrett, 2002).

According to the current prevailing definition, which was agreed upon at the 1996 World Food Summit, "A situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life," When this criterion is not met, food insecurity occurs. Of course, the world has only known food insecurity by that standard (Barrett & Lentz, 2010).

Humanitarian assistance is important as it is the reason why life is saved. Agencies mount response when huge number of people are affected by any calamity such as crises, disasters, or conflicts. The major aim of aid assistance is loss of life prevention, and this is the principle aim of humanitarian aid in South Sudan. Aids play a vital role in impact limiting, loss of life and suffering caused by conflict by providing food to the needy. 

There are many ranges of projects run and set up by humanitarian agencies targeting vulnerable group basic needs and supporting in regaining back to the normal life. It is significant that any population hit by any disaster or conflict should be assisted with humanitarian aid. The impact of disaster on communities is significantly possible to reduce through humanitarian effective action. Humanitarian assistance is helpful in plummeting the number of deaths after the onset of the crises. When aid is funded well, responding agencies plays an essential role in live saving and probably one of the reasons aids is vital in third world countries.

South Sudanese citizens had high expectations following the attaining of independence from the larger Sudan, among them included the efficiency and performance of the national government of South Sudan. This would in turn reduce the level of dependency on humanitarian aid and their related activities.  A number of agencies including the United Nations agencies were keen on emergency response after the 2013 outbreak of conflict instead of capacity building for nation building. 

Margulis (2021) argues, “are there characteristics of a regime complex that increase or decrease the likelihood of intervention? Food security is governed by a complex of partially overlapping international agreements and intergovernmental organizations (IOs) that govern how food is produced, distributed, and accessed on a global scale. It's a complicated regime that includes numerous elemental regimes - agriculture and food, humanitarian aid, human rights, international trade, climate change, and development finance as well as IOs with various objectives” (Margulis 2013; Breitmeier et al. 2020). 

Historically, UN institutions such as the FAO and WFP were in charge of global food security governance, with the common goal of ending hunger (Shaw 2007). “However, the regime complex for food security now includes IOs with far more diverse missions and goals, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), whose primary goal is to liberalize international trade, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), whose primary goal is to promote and protect human rights. While these objectives may be mutually beneficial in some situations, they may contradict in others” (Margulis, 2021).

Food insecurity has been disastrous in Somalia, a politically unstable country in the eastern Horn of Africa. Somalia's crops and cattle were destroyed in 2011 owing to a drought, and the famine was labelled a humanitarian calamity. Food has become a rare and expensive commodity as the drought has extended into 2012, resulting in a shortage of food and water, as well as rising inflation and political instability. The famine has disproportionately harmed children and pregnant women. Despite the fact that agricultural conditions have improved, and Somalia has received foreign aid, 2.51 million people remain food insecure.

Haiti is another country that faces food insecurity. In a society where the average person earns two dollars per day, high inflation has led food prices to rise. In addition, much of Haiti's food is imported, resulting in higher food prices. Many people cannot afford to buy food, and they are battling to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of the numerous tropical storms that have lately ravaged the country. Because of historical corruption, many governmental organizations are hesitant to provide aid to Haiti, however the country does get some assistance from non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

In a study conducted by FAO (2013) they found out cereals, particularly wheat, are the most widely grown crops, followed by barley, rice, cotton, vegetables, and fruit trees. “In all countries, forages are essential, and they are primarily intercropped with date palm. Date palms, mangoes, citrus, grapes, and fruit trees such as figs, mulberries, pomegranate, and olives are the most prevalent horticultural crops in the tree layer, all of which are native and well adapted to desert and Mediterranean climatic conditions. The majority of countries with a strong agricultural foundation export some of their produce. Certain countries, such as Jordan, are pursuing an ambitious agricultural modernisation agenda that includes bringing more area under irrigation and increasing sector privatization. However, several issues, such as marketing and access to inputs and loans, continue to stymie agricultural progress. In 2009, country-level self-sufficiency ratios in total cereals ranged from 3 to 81 percent, indicating that imports accounted for a major share of the sub-total region's available food” (FAO, 2013).

According to CSRF (n.d.), Malakal County is one of the few regions in South Sudan that employs large-scale mechanized farming. Although these operations have been hampered since the onset of violence in 2013. Cattle, goats, and sheep are kept by wealthier families. Fishing is primarily done in the wetlands near the conclusion of the rainy season and beginning of the dry season. Pastoralists' and their cattle's seasonal migration around the region can be a cause of conflict over pastures, water, and livestock raiding. 

However, the violence in the region since December 2013 has resulted in large-scale internal and external displacement, disrupted normal farming cycles, and put livelihoods in jeopardy, particularly in the Malakal town area. Women's capacity to collect firewood and access livelihoods has also been hampered by a persistent risk of sexual and gender-based assault. Malakal Town is an important market in the area since it has access to external markets across the Sudanese and Ethiopian borders, as well as considerable cross-border trade.

Emergency response is important part of humanitarian assistance during the crisis. When disaster hit the country, responses are urgently needed to save lives and provision of necessities to the affected population. Humanitarian plays a crucial role when such urgent actions are needed, and assistance provided is fundamental to crises response. Humanitarians’ response during emergencies involves the mobilization of resources. Many agencies such as UN and other NGOs prepositioned food items in order to response and position assistance speedily into crisis affected areas. Aid is important for that matter because of ability to respond urgently when need be. Humanitarian skills to deliver food for the requirements of the affected communities by wars and other calamities is vital in reducing suffering on individual. When response is successful in its implementation, it shows how important international aid. However, there are drawbacks to international help, as money is frequently used to prop up bad foreign regimes. Western donors provide massive amounts of financial, material, and military aid to totalitarian regimes all over the world. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Iraq, South Sudan, and Jordan, for example, are among the greatest receivers of international aid. We can all agree that these countries' human rights records are appalling. In many nations, however, foreign help permits administrations like these to stay in power and avoids regime transition. This is a significant problem with foreign aid because it contradicts its basic mission of assisting people and advancing human rights. 

According to Nick Bennet (2013), a world youngest country is said to be among the hosts to world’s largest humanitarian responses composed of local and transnational operation cost of over 1.2 billion USD alone. The security in a new nation remains volatile despite signings of the Revitalized Peace Agreement on Resolutions of Conflicts (R-ARCSS) in South Sudan 2018 which ended the violent civil war between the opposition faction of SPLM/A-IO and the government of South Sudan.  The UNOCHA (2018) report says out twelve million population, over 4.6 million are said to be food insecure with many living in Protection of the Civilian sides (POCs), IDPs camp and refugees’ camp. In greater Bhar el gazal (Warrap state) and Upper Nile (Jonglei state) where the communal violence continued to displace thousands of people to look for safety in other states yearly.

South Sudan is described by few numbers of humanitarian actors as one of the most dangerous places to work in as aid worker or most restricted bureaucratically. Though the level active hostilities have decreased at some point, aid workforces have turn out to be extra familiarize on overpowering impediments and access negotiation. For that matter the overall impression of aid workforces almost quatern years supported by information access is still a challenging thing in the Country. The stimulating atmosphere, increasing violent in contrast to humanitarian workforce and properties has extremely hampered humanitarian activities in the country. 

Meanwhile the initial restraint has not until now altered significantly in years over, lingering numbers have improved rapidly. Since South Sudan’s independence, bureaucratic impediments have become more prominent as well as complex between humanitarian actors and authorities which have gone under some fundamental changes.

During raining season over 60% of the country’s population is cut off, that means road access in major parts connecting main sites of aid responding at the negligeable stage or else not passible in the months of Jul-Dec and longer in some cases. Entirely parts accommodating refugees of Sudan currently are included in addition to conflicted affected states of Warrap and Jonglei. For that case, the context demands prepositioning and plans effectively to avoid the shortcomings which depends on timely and funding predictable stage. Maximum number of aid agencies stand motionless trying meanwhile some improvements have been made on this front, lengthy procurement and transportation processes have attribute to some shortcomings, caseload difficulties in predicting it accurately per each place and insistent danger of prowling food items besides deviation of food by arm groups and the ruling classes at some point. 

South Sudan humanitarian response has frequently been criticized for its high operational cost in the region. Though agencies need to continue to outshine stock, and several acknowledges to appropriate dependence on additional daunting UN Peacekeeping mission resources in the country. Furthermore, Mission sharing of resources generously with humanitarian community have improved entree to many parts, Peacekeeping mission’s relationship with other humanitarian actors has develop self-serving. In many cases, many agencies are sharing offices and accommodation with Peacekeeping troops and unfortunately segment monies. 

This high level of collaboration among humanitarians and Mission has not gone unobserved via societies and arm sets who regularly bump humanitarians as UNMISS and question their real intention in this country leading to outright denial of access to deliver services as they use to say.

The key concern is the regulatory environment for activities of humanitarian in the country, a significant increase in bureaucratic impediments have been reported by aid workers since the independence of this country. It would not be a wonder that independence new nation needs to establish structures of the government and framework policy which is hard to work in a setting were non-governmental organization registering, labor and immigration acts are still at the drafting stage. Although there is a logic amongst caring community that the ruling classes are undermining purposely the independence of their operational work. Obstructions could be ascribed equally governance insufficient erections, capacity, and deliberate attempts to control humanitarian assistance. 

Tax exemptions in South Sudan which was announced in October 2012 was the challenging example in that standup directive issued by South Sudan Customs Service. Even though government senior officials were uninformed of the directive, the document was disseminated entirely in headquarters of custom in the country and nearly led to huge disruptions of importations of aid assistance. Other ministries subsequently issued orders that ultimately assisted in resolving this custom’s glitches which highpoints the encounters which comes by means of institutions setting supervisory weaknesses. Regarding interference deliberately, there is increased report difficulties for humanitarian workers obtaining their visas and work permits. The visa on arrival facility was removed in 2012 for all but a few races were allowed, though NGO forum survey shows that 40% of NGO work permit requests made in 2012 took process of more than three months. 

The nationalization of some positions has been the demand of authorities increasingly, nevertheless there is no clear and transparent nationalization policy grounded on an assessment of actual national capacity to run the business. Arbitrary and extortion taxation have increased following the shutdown of oil production in Jan 2012 resulting into the collapse of South Sudan economy to date of this research. Humanitarian agencies in Maban county of Upper Nile state reported some challenges in delivering humanitarian aid to more than 113,000 Sudanese refugees. “Authorities in various countries have imposed a wide range of arbitrary taxes and fees, such as car rental and highway usage, as well as price limits on humanitarian commodities. These procedures have occasionally been combined with strong limits on UN and other humanitarian agencies' hiring and procurement procedures, such as insistence on hiring inside the state or county and government engagement in recruitment processes.” Other unethical demands or inquiries from authorities for access to humanitarian assets for professional or personal use.

Authorities seized over 79 humanitarian vehicles for non-humanitarian grounds in 2012. Expulsion or violence have been used to deal with attempts to reject or question these demands. Authorities commandeered 79 humanitarian vehicles for nonhumanitarian purposes in 2012. Attempts to challenge or reject these demands have resulted in violence or expulsion. Over the years, 78 national and international relief workers have been imprisoned or incarcerated, with another 5 humanitarian workers being removed from their work regions. Additionally, the number of forces entering humanitarian compounds have increased by 150% in 2013/4, involving searches with most cases for staff suspected to be falsely claiming South Sudanese citizenship or demands for human resources and financial files. 

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations defines 'food security' as "a situation in which all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life." Unpacking this definition reveals the concept's multi-dimensionality. “Food sufficiency is concerned with the availability of an adequate quantity and quality of food; physical and economic access is concerned with households and individuals having sufficient access to food; the security dimension is concerned with food utilization by the body, food safety, risks, shocks, vulnerability, and trade-offs; and the time dimension is concerned with the consistency of food availability, access, and utilization.” The four major characteristics of food security, namely availability, access, use, and stability, have been largely agreed upon (FAO, 2012a & FAO, 2013b).

Helping affected rural populations to recover and survive is one of the important things in international aid. Humanitarian aid is crucial in sense that it influence to mobilize when areas are hit by disasters, live saving as a key, aid suppliers, and serving parts affected by food insecurity recover. In alternative word, it is vital in childhood nutrition improvements, and as such millions are in urgent need of food assistance around the world. Many aid projects play key part in nutrition improvement outcomes for children living underneath deficiency line. Not only that, but it is likewise important in making food supplies in disasters hit zones and prepositioning of some food supplies that can be quickly moved to affected areas to recover. 

 Food Availability

USAID defined food availability as comprise of local production, imports of food and food aid. While Devereux and Maxwell (2010), hence, describe the term “availability” which refer to supplies of food item availability at both national and household echelons. In this research, the availability term can be used to explains humanitarian assistance and agricultural food production at the household level. To shade lighter, families in rural county of Malakal, access to food security is a hard-to-reach goal. The effects of party-political strife that disrupts their daily lives in the country have made every household to depend on aids. In partnership with World Vision (WVI), we have been engaging two hundred and twenty families affected by 2013 conflict to do small scale farming in order to add something in addition to 15 days ratio food distributed monthly. we’ve been teaming up with 220 families in eight communities to thrive despite adversity. During the donor visit, farmers mainly women were invited to exhibit their farming products and the visiting delegation was happy by this resilience recovery projects in in such conflict affected zones. 

According to FAO (2013), crop production accounts for the majority of the sub-agricultural region's GDP (Southern & Eastern Mediterranean Basin). “Arable land is scarce; on average, arable land accounts for 10% of total land area in the sub-region, with Syria having the greatest percentage at 25%. As a result, the sub-region is primarily composed of dry and semi-arid regions with little and variable rainfall. Despite natural resource restrictions, crop production will continue to play a significant part in most countries' economy and rural people' livelihoods. With nearly half of the agricultural population, moderately humid zones account for less than 10% of the land area. The drier areas cover about 90% of the land area but only have about 30% of the inhabitants. Rain-fed crops are mostly grown during the wetter winter months, whereas irrigated lands are farmed all year.” 

The overall cultivated land area in the Arab world is estimated to be around 46 million hectares. Rainfed agriculture accounts for 80% of the total, while irrigation accounts for the remaining 20%. (FAO, 2013).

Access to Food

Clover (2003) describe access to food as influence by the food availability and additional prerequisites determined by the household resource capacity through the later impact, which describes the set product activities they can follow in meeting their food security objectives and income. This thesis examines food access to members of the family of food insecure households who depends on humanitarian assistance sampled as respondents under the study. Physical, economic/financial, and socio-cultural factors all play a part in food access, according to Napoli, De Muro, and Mazziotta (2011), who suggest that all three have a role. A situation that illustrates the physical dimension is one in which food is produced in one region of a country, but it is unable to be transported to another region of the country that is in need of food due to inefficient or non-existent transportation infrastructure. This situation is an example of the physical dimension. People are economically considered to have food security when they have the financial means to purchase sufficient quantities of food. Within the context of the history of food security, the idea of food insecurity, which happens when individuals have access to food but are unable to buy it, is still a relatively recent development.

According to OXFAM, "even in rural regions, most people, particularly the poor, rely on market systems to provide food, critical items and services, as well as to sell their production." Even in rural areas, market systems provide food, vital products, and services. 2007 (OXFAM). The third component is the socio-cultural dimension, which describes the situation that arises "when food is physically available, and a potential consumer has the financial means to purchase it but is unable to do so" because of membership in a particular social group or even gender. This can happen when food is physically available, and a potential consumer has the financial means to purchase it. Social instability and civil strife have the potential to significantly impair food production. This can, for instance, result in the loss of livestock, which has extremely negative repercussions for the long-term food security of a household (Riely et al. 1999, 22).

Therefore, availability and access to food causes discussed above are not equal with food self-sufficiency. According to Hussain (1991), the ability to product either food or purchase implies self-reliance. He additionally, argued that world food supply may be excessive but still country can experience food severe shortages, though a household or individual within the country may go hungry despite availability of food. Masini (1991), as well claimed that “Access to food can still be attained without household being self-sufficiency in production of food, or without ability to generate sufficient income in the households.”

Adjimoti, & Kwadzo (2018), household access to food in rural Benin is mostly determined by what the household crops, either because they eat what they grow or because they buy food with the money gained from what they cultivate. In addition, many rural households in Benin are compelled to rely on their agricultural production or locally grown crops to meet their nutritional needs due to high transportation costs, poor infrastructure, and the remoteness of the rural area. Crop diversification can be a significant tool for alleviating food insecurity in rural Benin in this situation.

Barrett and Lentz (2010) claim that, “access is most strongly linked to social science conceptions of an individual or household well-being: what is the range of food options available to the person(s)? It reflects the demand side of food security, as evidenced by the importance of ‘food preferences’ in defining food security. 

This is intended to capture cultural constraints on which foods are compatible with a population's current values.” Given differences in religiously or culturally driven food tastes, two people from different faiths having access to the same diet may not consider themselves equally food secure. Access is also influenced by inter-and intra-household distributional issues.

According to Maxwell et al. (2008), finding access indicators is difficult due to the multidimensionality of appropriate food access. Livelihoods-based indicators are a type of indicator that tries to identify and track all of the activities, assets, and competencies that are required to support a way of life. The Vulnerability Assessment Committees of the Southern African Development Community, the Household Economy Approach of Save the Children UK, and the Coping Strategy Index all track livelihoods and the causes and solutions to food insecurity at the household level. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, spending and consumption studies, and dietary diversity metrics are all related to food access (Maxwell et al., 2008).

Food Utilization 

According to Clover (2003), describes utilization of food as means of biological appropriate food usage, diet needing that make available adequate and indispensable nutritious and that effective and efficient food utilization depend mostly on facts measurement, food storage and techniques dispensation, straightforward ethics of proper healthcare and illness management at the household level. Utilization of food is concerned also with additional household distribution and healthful food right for family members together with foodstuffs extensive choice. Bearing in mind that utilization of food as food security indicator, there are numerous factors such as education and sex, that ensure the optimal realization of household food security indicators discussed as mentioned above, availability to food, access to food, and utilization of food (Nkmoki et al., 2019).

The study will use a descriptive study design combining both approaches of qualitative and quantitative. This design allows the researcher to implore both numerical and descriptive data from questionnaires respondent, interviews, and focus group discussions to understand impartiality and get various interpretations on the study. The method similarly deliberates on the population targeted under the study which describes the sampling techniques used in sample selection. The study also offers sample size of targeted population as respondents and key informants.  Also explains research methods for collection of data which includes, questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions and observation (appendix III/IV) by way of pretesting of data gathering methods intended at safeguarding the reliability and validity of the information. Not only that but also ends by ethical bestowing matters and research limits considered during the process. 

Bryman (2012) also describes that quantifiable method perceives realism as impartial, fixed, and simple whereas descriptive approach see truth as subjective, multiple, constructed, and diverse in nature. Questionnaires and interviews will be used together to collect the information as in appendix iii

The study will be conducted in Malakal County, Upper Nile State which is in eastern side of the country. Malakal County is in Upper Nile State, and the city of Malakal is the state capital. It is bordered to the north-east by Fashoda County, to the east by Baliet County, and to the south-west by Panyikang County. To the north-west, it shares a thin international boundary with Sudan. Malakal town is located on the White Nile's eastern bank, which flows northward through the county. The old Upper Nile State's capital is located in the county of Malakal. The administrative centre of Malakal County is in Malakal Town, which is situated on the White Nile's banks just north of where it meets the Sobat River. Malakal has had a lot of fighting since 2013 and has been invaded several times. Malakal had been destroyed numerous times and had changed hands 12 times as of October 2015.

Findings

The central elements of the study were the influence of international organizations on food security. Because of that, the study pursued to comprehend the social physical characteristics of head of households, in addition to what sustainable livelihood framework (SLF) point as human wealth under living assets. Scoones (1998) enlightens domestic social wealth is made up of the specific features of members of household which include both qualitative and quantitative, that Bezemer and Lerman (2002), also argue that the most essential characters of social wealth as indicated by workable income basis include, age, gender, health, education, family size, dependency, and leadership. As per the argument above resulting from the maintainable living activities, the research analyzed information on the variable quantity of sex of the respondents, age bracket, marital status, educational levels, and household size as presented. help them to generate income.  

The above charts show the significant source of food that respondents depend on. 15 percent of the respondents depend on humanitarian aid, 8 percent on farming, 6 percent on fishing and 71 percent of the group depends on all the above.  The findings result show that majority of the target groups depend on humanitarian aid, farming and fishing as their significant sources of food. With the onset of the crisis in Malakal in 2013, majority depends on aid as an alternative source of food. This argument is supported by the statement made by respondents that the main economic sources of livelihood in greater upper Nile states include farming, fishing and humanitarian aid. 

The chart above shows the percentages of community participation on food availability at their households. The findings show that 6 percent of do participation on fishing as an alternative means of food security, while 94 percent majority participate in fishing, farming, aid marked in green as all the above. With all the challenges in Upper Nile in general and Malakal County in particular, majority still struggle to secure additional food for their families. International humanitarian organizations contributing on food security in Malakal

The result in the above chart shows that 39 percent respondents indicated World Food Programme as the agency contributing to food security, 20 percent responded as World vision South Sudan and 41 percent majority responded as both world food programme and world vision are partners in contributing to food needs in Malakal. 

 Rate the level of intervention received from international organizations. 

The above chart illustrates the percentages of the level of intervention received from humanitarian organizations. In the figure, 3 percent rated the intervention received as very poor, 21 percent remained undecided, 37 percent were satisfied, while 39 percent majority rated the intervention as poor. This argument is supported by the statement made by one of the project committee members in key informant interview that the intervention of international organizations doesn’t meet the required standard in South Sudan. Organizations give 15 days’ ratio to beneficiaries with no other alternative support for livelihood.  Role in ensuring your household access to food

The above chart illustrates the percentages of the roles played by the community in ensuring households access to food.  In the figure, 9 percent tea making, 23 percent charcoal and 68 percent majority do farm as the way of ensuring food access at the household levels. Great Upper Nile in the country is known as the breadbasket for food security, but because of the continues crises in the region have affected farming activities although it was the main source of accessing food at community level. With this, many are depending on humanitarian as the alternative source of livelihood. Malakal county has very good fertile land that can use to provide many communities with food security.  which type of intervention do you receive that helps to access food.

The above table shows that 3 percent of respondents access that helps through cash, while 97 percent majority access their help through food aid. That’s mean majority of the respondents get their access through humanitarian food. As argued earlier, many communities in rural areas receive their food through general food distribution in the county.

 Active food programs from any international organization in your community

The above table shows that 5 percent of respondents says that they have active food programs in their community, while 95 percent majority says no to active food programs from any international organization. This mean that majority of the population depends on humanitarian aid.  With current challenges in the country, many humanitarian agencies focus much on emergency then livelihood activities and for that no active food programs supported by international humanitarian organization in our community. Before the crisis there were asset creation activities in the county said by one woman under focus group discussions. 

The above chart illustrates the percentages rate of food received from humanitarian organizations. In the figure, 11 percent rated the food received as very little and enough respectively, 35 percent rated little, while 43 percent rated the food received as moderate.

 Number of meals consumed at the household levels

The above chart illustrates the percentages of the respondents’ number of meals taken at households’ level per a day of which 25 percent responded two meals per a day, while 75 percent majority responded one meal per a day. The findings shows that majority of the respondents depends on only one meal per a day. This argument is supported by much research evidence showing many parts of greater upper Nile as food insecure.

The above chart illustrates the percentages of the rating the role of international organizations on ensuring food utilization of which 14 percent rated the role as poor, 20 percent rated their roles as good, while 66 percent rated their role as moderate.  Of the overall percentage, majority rated the role of international organization as moderate. This argument is supported by focus group discussions and many respondents’ majority of whom are women recognize the role of international humanitarian organizations but still a lot need to be done.

Food security at the household level is an essential matter of discussion all over the world, predominantly in Sub-Saharan Africa region, as well as South Sudan, as it narrates poverty and hunger as shown in Goals number 1 and 2 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The essentials factor to access to food is through farming inputs to increase productivity at rural communities by farmers as food availability is equal to food security.  Everyone in charge of administration is duty bounce to plan maintainable programs that aim at the farmers who cannot pay for purchase inputs for farming to enable them realize household food security. To reduce too much dependency on humanitarian international in South Sudan in general and Malakal County in particular. However, these programs should be achievable and workable solution for food insecurity at households efficiently though food insecure households are to eloquently contributing to social domestic growth. 

In addition to the above statement, the main focus of the study was to analyze the influence of international humanitarian organizations among rural communities in Malakal County of South Sudan. The results of the study show that the influence of international humanitarian organizations on food security is little in Malakal County. Nevertheless, it is not supportable due to the landscape of the programme plan that allows only resources to flow through humanitarian organizations by international community to serve the most vulnerable communities in South Sudan. The international organizations are the implementing partners of the donors’ country, and they may decide to use the little resources for their luxury’s life. Many of the international staff do follow the donated money from either their countries or partner states in form of the so-called experts to come and mismanage the fund and goes back to their countries without any accountability.  The study recognized   weaknesses and challenges in the planning and programme implementation at rural community levels that included mismanagement of resources, political interference, unpredictable rain, and dependance on humanitarian aid programs by the recipients, the program remains in fighting food security. The learning manifest that rural food safety programs beyond went to solving household food security related level of having enough money for the common of the benefiting families to meet more household rations.  Nonetheless domestic availability of food was improved by beneficiaries’ status through utilizations of agricultural inputs free in the program, the researcher accepts as truth of the matter that it will be challenging for South Sudan régime to help support the international humanitarian organizations in filling the gap of food short at the household levels.  The findings above makes majority of the households dependents on humanitarian aids then South Sudan administrations which has inadequate capitals with economic compression from social economic parts in the country. South Sudan is a country where civil servants go for more than eight months without receiving their salaries. Hence, shifting to agriculture policy to strengthen livelihood in the country is unavoidable for food availability of the most vulnerable households with no other source then food aids.

 Recommendations 

The general findings conclusion of this study makes known that the role of humanitarian international organizations has moderate paraphernalia on benefiting households’ lives. Nevertheless, challenges and weakness effects outweighed the programme in the thoughts of benefiting community, to discourse the underlying causes more need to be done if South Sudan government desires to realize potential in Malakal County. Continuation of conflict in Greater Upper Nile states have limited chances of households to exploring other opportunities then food aid. Considering the weaknesses and challenges related to availability of food outline in this document, below are some recommendations made:

• Many of the respondent’s head of households in the selected communities fell within the age bracket of 31-45 years which is regarded as active age group, whereas above 60 years of age minority where energy and strength are gradually weakening. The study recommended the category of active and energetic age group to be supported and engage in other livelihood activities then aid, whereas the age bracket group of 31-45 years and 60 years plus should be linked to social welfare activities in the county. This will help those with less energetic to move one with life.
• The study shows that most of the respondents on food availability were the households headed by married class. As per the above findings in conclusion tells that the level of threats which comes with poverty can be reduce by marital status of an individual. Married class are more responsible than single group given the range of activities. 
•  Also, the finding shows the low literacy levels among rural communities in Malakal which is one the contributing factors to lower access to food in the county. With this, the government of South Sudan through its line ministries is recommended to support the local community with accelerated learning programs for adult in order to improve their literacy rate in some years to come. 
• Unpredictable onset of crisis in Malakal is among the factors to be considered in relations to food insecurity in the county. Therefore, study recommended that South Sudan government should provide adequate security for households to explore other mains of access to food in Malakal County. 
• Many households interviewed have low feeling about humanitarian organization on food availability on rural community in Malakal. However, much humanitarian organizations try to support, it is therefore recommended that South Sudan government needs to add their efforts to help food insecure households. 
• With inadequate or moderate contributions of international humanitarian organizations in the county, it is recommended that humanitarian agencies need to add their efforts to support rural communities with asset creation activities then general food distribution in collaboration with ministry of agriculture.