ALPS countries demand Sudan’s warring sides lift aid blockades amid famine

August 20, 2025 (WASHINGTON) – A coalition of international powers, including the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the United Nations, on Wednesday demanded that Sudan’s warring parties immediately lift all impediments to humanitarian aid, warning of growing famine and a rapidly deteriorating crisis.

In a joint statement, the group said it was “appalled” by the worsening situation, where civilians are paying the highest price in the conflict between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The coalition, which also includes Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, and the African Union, called on both sides to honour their commitments under the May 2023 Jeddah Declaration to protect civilians.

“The ALPS coalition calls on the warring parties to lift all bureaucratic impediments impinging on and preventing humanitarian activities,” the statement said, using the group’s acronym.

The group specifically urged the army and the RSF to agree to humanitarian pauses and keep key supply routes open, including the Adre border crossing from Chad and crucial cross-line routes into the hard-hit Darfur and Kordofan regions.

De-escalation measures are urgently needed in those areas to allow aid to reach populations facing severe malnutrition, the statement added.

The coalition outlined a series of demands, urging the warring parties to guarantee the safety of aid workers, restore telecommunications access, protect critical infrastructure, including water and health facilities, and ensure safe passage for civilians seeking assistance.

“International humanitarian law must be fully respected,” the group said. “This includes the obligations to protect civilians… as well as to allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access to all those in need.”