UN appealed 18m for Sudan crisis

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Anjali Sharma

GG News Bureau

UNITED NATIONS, 18th May. UN agencies and its partners on Wednesday said that it needed a $3 billion to deliver life-saving aid for Sudan crisis after a rising number of people in Sudan impacted by heavy fighting over a month.

UNHCR said that it required $472 million to assist those forced to flee across the country’s borders in addition to a revised request from the UN aid coordination office OCHA for $2.56 billion to fund its Humanitarian Response Plan targeting some 18 million people in Sudan.

According to OCHA the revised joint humanitarian response plan updates the response strategy launched for Sudan in December 2022 and reflects the “fundamental and widespread needs” within the country.

Ramesh Rajasingham, head and representative of OCHA in Geneva said that “Today 25 million people, more than half the population of Sudan, need humanitarian aid and protection.”

“This is the highest number we have ever seen in the country (and) the response plan we are launching today reflects that new reality; the funding requirement of nearly $2.6 billion is also the highest for any humanitarian appeal for Sudan.”

Mr. Rajasingham warned there is every sign that the crisis could evolve into a regional emergency before listing a number of urgent needs, including protection from fighting, medical support, food and water, sanitation, shelter and trauma care.

Over a million people have been displaced, the number of those internally displaced has risen to 730,000 and 220,000 have fled to neighboring countries.

“We are also receiving worrying reports of increased sexual violence while the victims have little access to help. Children are especially vulnerable in this chaos that is unfolding,” OCHA reported.

UNHCR’s Raouf Mazou, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, said that the conflict had caused “massive outflows” into neighboring countries, including Chad, where around 60,000 people have now crossed the border in search of safety.

Over 220,000 refugees and returnees have fled to Chad, Sudan, Egypt, Central African Republic and Ethiopia,he said.

Mr. Mazou added that 150,000 were Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers.

Displaced South Sudanese form the largest number of non-Sudanese people in need.

“Overall, we have to keep in mind that there were 1.1 million refugees living in Sudan prior to this crisis,” Mr. Mazou said.

He noted that the UN agency’s appeal for $472 million would provide assistance

OCHA’s Mr.Rajasingham said more than one million people for six months.

He added “But needs throughout the country have “expanded drastically” since the conflict erupted, leaving an increasing number of people dangerously hungry. “When you have a crisis like this and you don’t have access to basic services, you don’t have access to health and water, there’s an enormous risk that there will be an increased risk of famine as well.”

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