Sudan’s Burhan meets Samaritan’s Purse, highlights aid delivery

March 10, 2025 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan’s Sovereign Council leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, met with Franklin Graham, head of U.S.-based aid group Samaritan’s Purse, on Monday. The two highlighted the delivery of aid to conflict-affected areas and discussed broader humanitarian efforts, the Sudanese Sovereign Council said.

The meeting in Port Sudan comes as Sudan faces a deepening humanitarian crisis exacerbated by ongoing conflict. Samaritan’s Purse recently delivered 47 metric tons of food to 20,000 people in South Kordofan, a region long affected by fighting.

The Sovereign Council, Sudan’s transitional ruling body, said in a statement that Graham thanked the government for its cooperation in facilitating the aid delivery. Al-Burhan, who heads the council and commands the armed forces, appreciated Samaritan’s Purse’s 30-year presence in Sudan.

The aid group has established hospitals in Gedaref and Hamashkoraib and provided medical care, food, and clean water, often in conflict zones, the council said.

Lieutenant General Al-Sadiq Ismail Mahmoud, head of Sudan’s National Joint Committee for Humanitarian Emergencies, said the meeting was part of Sudan’s “strategic vision” for humanitarian aid. He stressed al-Burhan’s commitment to providing humanitarian aid without discrimination and political or media exploitation.

The statement said Graham praised the government’s efforts. He indicated that Samaritan’s Purse, of which he serves as CEO, would continue its work in Sudan and explore expanding its programs, particularly in the health sector.

“We have been working in Sudan for 30 years. We were here during the war, and we are still here,” Graham was quoted saying implicitly, highlighting a commitment that was evident given the context of the organization and the nature of the meeting.

Graham said he hoped for increased international support for Sudan and would convey the challenges he observed to U.S. authorities, advocating for renewed engagement between Washington and Khartoum.

Sudan is grappling with a complex humanitarian situation marked by conflict, displacement, and food insecurity. The meeting with Samaritan’s Purse underscores the country’s reliance on international aid and its efforts to improve relations with international actors.