UN agencies launch new aid plan for war-torn Sudan

By Lisa Zengarini

As war continues to ravage Sudan despite recent talks of a ceasefire, the United Nations and its partners have launched new humanitarian and refugee response plans for 2024.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) appealed for a combined US$4.1 billion on Wednesday to meet the most urgent humanitarian needs in the African nation.

1.5 million people displaced by the war

With half of Sudan's 25-million population in need of assistance and over 1.5 million people having fled to neighbouring countries, urgent action is required, the two UN agencies said.

The armed struggle between the forces loyal to the de facto president, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by his rival, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, erupted on April 15, 2023, after months of heightened tensions between the two former allies who had led a military coup in October 2021.

The fighting, which has since expanded from the capital Khartoum to other parts of the country, and has continued even after General Dagalo announced his commitment to a ceasefire early in January, has caused widespread displacement, hunger, and destruction of critical infrastructure, leaving millions vulnerable to diseases and lacking access to healthcare and education.  

As reported by the two UN agencies, nearly 18 million people are facing acute food insecurity, and some 19 million children are out of school. Also, human rights violations are widespread, with continued reports of gender-based violence.

The war, which has killed thousands, has so far forced more than 1.5 million people to flee to neighbouring countries, including the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, which are already hosting large refugee populations.

UN plans to support a total of 17.4 million people in Sudan and the region

The OCHA and UNHCR-coordinated plans aim to support a total of 17.4 million people in Sudan and the region.

"The generosity of donors helps us provide food and nutrition, shelter, clean water, and education for children, and to fight the scourge of gender-based violence and care for the survivors," said the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, remarking that last year’s appeal was less than half funded. “This year, we must do better and with a heightened sense of urgency,” he said.

Despite challenges, in 2023, with the support of international donors, humanitarian organizations managed to reach some 7 million people in Sudan and supported host governments in providing the displaced with critical life-saving support and protection.

In 2024, the Refugee Response Plan aims to continue these operations and additionally support resilience-building interventions for up to 2.7 million people.