The United States announced on Wednesday that it will provide over $130 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help those affected by the ongoing crisis in Sudan. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will distribute the aid.
Assistant Administrator for USAID, Sarah Charles, made this announcement during a high-level ministerial event held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, focusing on the humanitarian situation in Sudan and the region.
The U.S. State Department stated that since the outbreak of war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15, widespread and unjustified violence has led to four million people displacement within Sudan, with over one million forced to flee to neighbouring countries.
According to the State Department, approximately 25 million people, more than half of the country’s population, require life-saving humanitarian assistance.
The statement indicated that parties to the conflict continue to commit grave violations, including the widespread use of rape and other forms of sexual violence as tactics to terrorize and subdue the population and instil fear among them.
According to the State Department, over four million women and girls in Sudan are at risk of gender-based violence due to the conflict, suffering from disrupted health and protection services. Estimates indicate that over four million children need protection as violence escalates in the country.
Urgent health needs are rapidly increasing, with more than 80% of Sudan’s hospitals now out of service, and reports continue of attacks targeting health facilities, according to the U.S. State Department.
The statement emphasized that “this additional funding from USAID will continue to support our humanitarian partners who provide emergency food assistance, including through cash transfers, grains, pulses, and life-saving vegetable oil from U.S. sources or locally and regionally procured.”
According to the State Department, “This funding will help our partners continue to respond to serious protection violations and will support USAID’s efforts to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, in addition to psychosocial and social support services for the most vulnerable populations throughout the country.”
The State Department reaffirmed that the United States is the largest humanitarian donor for the crisis response in Sudan and neighbouring countries that support Sudanese refugees, with this additional support bringing total U.S. humanitarian assistance to the people of Sudan and the region to $840 million in this fiscal year.
The U.S. State Department called on all parties to immediately and permanently halt hostilities, cease interfering with humanitarian operations, and facilitate the access of humanitarian workers.