UN appeals for $3B in aid for Sudanese refugees

ISTANBUL

The UN on Wednesday announced a humanitarian plan worth $3 billion in assistance to people affected by the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

The plan was jointly announced by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) during the launch of a humanitarian response plan for Sudan and neighboring countries.

"With the conflict in Sudan entering its second month, the United Nations and its partners today called for $3 billion to help millions of people in the country and hundreds of thousands fleeing to neighboring countries," the two organizations said in a joint statement.

At least 822 civilians have been killed and thousands injured in clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group since April 15, according to local medics.

"This conflict is a cruel blow for the people of Sudan, already staggering under the weight of a desperate humanitarian situation," said UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths.

"The desire, willingness and impatience of humanitarian agencies to deliver remains as strong as ever,” he added.

The UN estimates that over one million Sudanese people may flee from Sudan during the year.

A disagreement had been fomenting in recent months between the army and the RSF over the paramilitary group’s integration into the armed forces, a key condition of Sudan's transition agreement with political groups.

Sudan has been without a functioning government since October 2021, when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's transitional government and declared a state of emergency in a move decried by political forces as a "coup."

Sudan's transitional period, which started in August 2019 after the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir, had been scheduled to end with elections in early 2024.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar