The United States will contribute an additional $203 million to aid millions of civilians impacted by the ongoing war in Sudan, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced on Thursday. She urged other nations to increase their support for what she described as “the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.”
Since the conflict erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the situation has drastically deteriorated. The U.N. reports that nearly 25 million people, half of Sudan’s population, require aid, with famine threatening and 10 million people displaced from their homes. Over 2.2 million of these individuals have fled to neighboring countries.
“The scale of this crisis is overwhelming. But now it’s not a moment to throw up our hands. We must continue to fight for the people of Sudan,” Thomas-Greenfield stated. “People are eating dirt to survive, relying on tree leaves for nutrition.”
Last month, a global monitor warned that there is a realistic chance of famine in 14 areas across Sudan if the conflict intensifies. The U.N. World Food Programme has labeled the escalating hunger crisis as the worst in the world.
The additional U.S. funds will bring the total American assistance for Sudanese civilians in Sudan, Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan to $1.6 billion since the conflict began. The United States remains the largest single donor to the aid response.
“We hope this new round of aid serves as a call to action for others,” said Thomas-Greenfield, who visited Adre on Chad’s border with Sudan in September to meet refugees from the war.
The conflict, initiated by a plan to integrate the army and paramilitary forces in a transition to free elections, has triggered waves of ethnically driven violence, largely blamed on the RSF. The RSF denies harming civilians, attributing such activities to rogue actors.
The United States has accused the warring parties of committing war crimes, with the RSF and allied militias also accused of crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.
Thomas-Greenfield emphasised that the U.S. is prepared to push for more U.N. Security Council action to ensure aid reaches those most in need if necessary.
Melissa Enoch
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