Sudan humanitarian crisis: Donors urged to honour April 15 Paris pledges

A group of 60 civil society organisations have voiced grave concern about the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan, and “appeal to the world community to take the necessary measures to protect millions of vulnerable civilian populations in need and to avert a looming humanitarian tragedy”. In a joint statement from the Ugandan capital Kampala yesterday, the organisations call on the international community “to urgently meet the financial pledges they made in Paris on April 15 2024”, and further encourage the donor community to consider providing additional funding for the humanitarian work.

“The Sudanese people, victims of many years of tyranny and atrocious acts inside Sudan and abroad, deserve the generous support of all peace-loving people,” they say in their Appeal to the Donor Community on Sudan.

The undersigned organisations* lament that “the internal armed conflict engulfs about 80 per cent of Sudan’s territory as the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces continues unabated, and violence or threats thereof is reported in hitherto safe states”.

The statement highlights that since April 15 2023, millions of civilians were uprooted, including at least 10 million forced to flee their homes and seek shelter elsewhere in the country thus making Sudan the worst case of displacement in the world.

Meanwhile, more than two million civilians were forced to cross Sudan’s international borders and seek refuge in neighbouring countries, often without life-saving support or facing severe security risks.

The organisation cite the statement of May 31 2024 by the Principals of the United Nations’ Inter-Agency Standing Committee, entitled No time to lose as famine stalks millions in Sudan amid intense fighting and access denials, which warns that “time is running out for millions of people in Sudan who are at imminent risk of famine, displaced from their lands, living under bombardments, and cut off from humanitarian assistance.”It is widely believed that at least 18 million people face acute hunger in Sudan, including four million acutely malnourished children. Evidence in our possession suggests that a deadly famine is already affecting millions of people, especially in the isolated parts of the greater Darfur region, Kordofan, as well as in El Gezira and Khartoum states.

“The United Nations’ Inter-Agency Standing Committee has been at the vanguard of humanitarian action and protection of vulnerable groups of internally displaced groups, including women and children inside Sudan and in supporting Sudanese refugees across the borders. Despite their exemplary efforts and dedication, under extreme conditions, they face multiple challenges, including severely reduced levels of funding. In this respect we salute the heroic efforts of humanitarian workers and demand that they do more because of the growing need for their valuable work and life-saving services.

“However, we are extremely concerned by the limited support to the humanitarian work for Sudan by the donor community, notably affecting the work of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It is disheartening that more than two months after the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and its Neighbours held in Paris on April 15 2024, the UN relief agencies received far less than 20 per cent of the US$2.7 billion that they urgently need.

“We call upon the international donor community and countries to urgently meet the financial pledges they made in Paris. We further encourage the donor community to consider providing additional funding for the humanitarian work. The Sudanese people, victims of many years of tyranny and atrocious acts inside Sudan and abroad, deserve the generous support of all peace-loving people,” the statement concludes.

* Signed by:

1. Africa Centre for Human Rights (Khartoum)
2. African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (Banjul)
3. African Centre for Sustainable Development (New York)
4. African Organisation for Rights and Development (Kampala/Khartoum)
5. Al Khatim Adlan Centre for Enlightenment and Human Development (Khartoum/Kampala)
6. Al Nwras Democracy and Development (Khartoum)
7. Anataban Arts Initiative (Juba)
8. AWAFY Sudanese Organisation (Kampala)
9. Broad National Front (London)
10. Centre du Commerce Intentional pour le Développement (Geneva)
11. Civil Society Initiative (Khartoum)
12. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (London)
13. Community Development Association (Khartoum)
14. Darfur Bar Association (Khartoum)
15. Darfur Human Rights Network (Kampala)
16. Darfur Victims Support Group (Kampala)
17. Darfur Women Action Group (Washington)
18. Democratic Thought Project (Khartoum/Kampala)
19. Development Hub Organisation (Kampala)
20. Dreamers for Media and Human Rights (Kampala)
21. Fikra for Studies and Development
22. Geneva Monitor for Human Rights (Geneva)
23. Human Rights Advocacy Network for Democracy (Khartoum/Kampala)
24. Human Rights and Development Organisation
25. Human Rights Institute of South Africa (Johannesburg)
26. Justice Africa Sudan (Khartoum)
27. Kamma Organisation for Development Initiative
28. Koinonia Community (Nairobi)
29. New Horizons (Juba)
30. New Sudan Women’s Union (Khartoum)
31. New York City Holistic for Enlightenment and Development Organisation (New York)
32. Nonviolence International (New York)
33. NUBSUD Human Rights Monitors Organisation (Kauda)
34. Pax Christy International (Brussels)
35. Pax Christy Italy (Rome)
36. Peace Catalysts Organisation (Juba)
37. Pioneers for Peace Organisation for Development (Khartoum/Kampala)
38. Relief and Rehabilitation Bureau/DRC (Padua/Italy)
39. Réseau de Formation et de Recherche sur la Migrations Africaines (Geneva)
40. Rights for Peace (London)
41. Rural Extension for Development Organisation
42. Sudan and South Sudan Forum
43. Sudan Institute of Democracy (New York)
44. Sudan Knowledge Centre (Geneva)
45. Sudan Unlimited (New York)
46. Sudanese Centre for Community Dialogue and Acceptance of Others
47. Sudanese Development Call Organisation (NIDAA), (Khartoum/Kampala)
48. Sudanese Human Rights Monitor (London)
49. Sudanese Organisation for Justice and Human Rights (Kampala)
50. Sudanese Organisation for Nonviolence and Development (Sudan)
51. Sudanese Women’s Initiative to Build Sustainable Peace (Kassala, Sudan)
52. The Democratic Observatory for Human Rights (Khartoum/Kampala)
53. The Regional Centre for Training and the Development of Civil Society (Khartoum)
54. The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (Kampala)
55. Um-Al-Houda Women Society for Peace and Development
56. Wings for Peace and Development Organisation (Kadugli)
57. Women for Peace and Security Network-Sudan
58. Women of Sudanese Civic and Political Groups-MANSAM (Khartoum)
59. Youth Citizens Observers Network (Kampala)
60. Zarga Organisation for Rural Development (Khartoum)