U.S. senators call for humanitarian support to Sudan
May 9, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – U.S. senators called on the Biden administration to marshal and provide humanitarian assistance to the Sudanese affected by the ongoing war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In a letter to the Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and USAID Administrator Samantha Power on May 5, 11 senators including Mark Warner, Tim Kane, and Benjamin Cardin -among others- said it was critical to provide aid to those who are in dire need for humanitarian aid in Sudan.
They further urged the government to support aid operations on the ground and to safely reposition and pre-position resources so that they can be used as soon as possible.
On Wednesday, the Senate foreign relations committee organises a hearing on the “Options for an effective policy response” with Victoria Nuland, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, and Sarah Charles, Assistant to the Administrator, Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance USAID.
The United Nations Refugee Agency recently announced that it is preparing for the departure of 860,000 refugees and returnees from Sudan, and will require $445 million to provide assistance to those who have been displaced until October.
Donors were presented with a preliminary summary of the Regional Refugee Response Plan for Sudan by various agencies, which will cover emergency aid in Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the Central African Republic.
The senators appreciated the United States’ efforts to engage neighbouring countries and the UN in increasing border capacity, ensuring UN and international non-governmental organizations’ access to these border crossings, and providing additional aid along these routes.
Referring to the Jeddah talks on a humanitarian cessation of hostilities, they called to prioritise the immediate establishment of safe and durable humanitarian access to those in need.
Additionally, they urged to appoint a special envoy or another senior diplomat to the region to engage directly with neighbouring countries to ensure the free movement of individuals seeking safety out of Sudan and enable the UN and INGOs to provide necessary assistance in these border efforts.
USAID announced in a tweet on Tuesday that its disaster response team is tirelessly working to deliver food aid to the populations impacted by the conflict in Sudan.
“Our partner, WFP, just resumed distributions in eastern Sudan to feed 380K+ people facing extreme hunger, including refugees and people displaced by recent fighting”.