EU announces $124 million in humanitarian aid for Sudan

October 26, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – The European Union has announced a $124 million humanitarian and development aid package for Sudan.

The donation, the EU Commission said Monday, would go towards urgent food, water, sanitation, health and education needs, as well as supporting people who have been forced from their homes and the communities that host them.

EU’s commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management, Christos Stylianides, said the aid was necessary to meet the needs of displaced Sudanese as well as refugees who came from neighboring South Sudan.

“The humanitarian aid I am announcing today will help bring life-saving relief to the most vulnerable populations,” said Stylianides during a visit to South Darfur in Sudan.

“Full humanitarian access throughout the country is crucial so that humanitarian workers can deliver aid safely to those in need,” he added.

According to the UN, 4.8 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Sudan, with the majority located in the Darfur region.

Aid agencies were seeing improved access, particularly to places they had not been able to reach for several years, while thousands of displaced persons were able to return to home, the UN said.

(ST)