UN aid for Sudan severely underfunded, as famine looms

June 7, 2024 (GENEVA) -Speaking at a UN press briefing in Geneva on Friday, William Spindler, spokesperson for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that the UN’s efforts in Sudan have been severely hampered by the lack of funding.

Funding for humanitarian aid in Sudan is severely lacking, with only 16 per cent ($432 million) raised out of the $2.7 billion needed to reach 14 million people.

During a humanitarian conference held in Paris on April 15, donors pledged to provide over two billion euros to support the UN agencies working in Sudan and neighbouring countries.

To help refugees from Sudan, USD 1.4 billion was needed for 2.7 million people in five countries; this is only nine per cent funded. With famine looming on the horizon, Spindler emphasized that much more life-saving aid must be delivered immediately.

Alpha Seydi Ba, also with UNHCR, spoke of witnessing people arriving from Sudan to Chad in dire conditions. Many women and children have experienced unimaginable trauma.

Before the current war, Chad was already hosting 400,000 refugees from Sudan. Due to the lack of funding, it is increasingly difficult to meet the needs of the displaced and provide adequate shelter, food, access to education, and medical and psychological support.

However, to cope with the deteriorating situation in Sudan, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced this week that it is expanding its assistance within Sudan. The WFP aims to help an additional five million people by the end of 2024, doubling the number of people it had intended to help in its initial planning.