By Mamer Abraham
The United States announces US$163 million in humanitarian assistance for the displaced people in Sudan and neighboring countries.
According to the statement published on Wednesday, US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield declared the offer.
Spokesperson of the United States Department of State, Matthew Miller said $103 million will be given through the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM).
Meanwhile, another $ 60 million will be given through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.
In total, the humanitarian assistance for the Sudan emergency response was $710 million in 2023, aimed at addressing the needs of refugees and IDPs in Sudan, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic.
The US government estimates that 24.7 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance in Sudan, as well as 3.6 million who were internally displaced.
“With this assistance from the American people, the United States supports a wide range of life-saving humanitarian programs for internally displaced persons, refugees, refugee returnees, other vulnerable groups, and host communities,” the statement continued.
“Our assistance also includes support for communities throughout the region that generously host Sudanese refugees and welcome returnees.”
The US called for the warring parties in the Sudanese conflict to stop fighting, adding that there was no military solution to the conflict in Sudan.
The US further called for the warring parties to allow humanitarian access and a window for conflict-affected people to seek refuge in safe places across the borders.
The conflict in Sudan broke out on April 15, 2023, between the Sudan Armed Forces commanded by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces of General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
As it spread across the country, many civilians crossed the borders to neighboring countries, including South Sudan, where they currently seek refuge, resulting in stretched resources.
“The crisis in Sudan triggered an overwhelming influx of refugees, returnees, and third-country nationals, further aggravating the already fragile humanitarian situation in South Sudan,” the Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNORCHA) indicated yesterday.
The OCHA report stated that the humanitarian response plan was worth $1.7 billion and meant to save 6.8 million people, but only 46 percent of the funding was received on September 5, 2023.
It added that over $300 million was needed to respond to emergencies in South Sudan posed by the war in Sudan.