World donors allocate $2.1bln for Sudan amid worsening crisis
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French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that the EU, alongside other countries, has raised humanitarian aid for Sudan to curb the repercussions of its year-long conflict.
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French President Emmanuel Macron attends a session at the international conference on Sudan, Monday, April 15, 2024, in Paris. (AP)
World donors have pledged and allocated over $2.1 billion in humanitarian aid for Sudan amid a rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis due to the long-term conflict the country has been engulfed in.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the news at an international conference in Paris convened to rally material aid to Sudan's 51 million people. He revealed that the money would go to providing food, water, medicine, medical supplies, and other necessities to relieve the tragedy.
Macron also stated that the European Union raised around 900 million euros but stated that the entire sum does not match the billions some countries allocated to wage a proxy war in Sudan. He urged those same countries, without mentioning who, to stop funding the crisis in Sudan.
According to The Washington Post, Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said the conference was held to extend support to the African nation that has been struck by war due to "international indifference".
Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, stated that humanitarian action is increasingly politicized in Sudan, noting how humanitarian workers and volunteers were risking their lives during relief operations.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday warned against forgetting the people of Sudan, reiterating that they are in dire need of lifesaving aid.
"I will not relent in my calls to silence the guns, and meet the aspirations of the Sudanese people for a peaceful and secure future," he said in a Security Council conference.
The future of Sudan requires the contributions, participation and vision of all Sudanese.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) April 15, 2024
I will not relent in my calls to silence the guns, and meet the aspirations of the Sudanese people for a peaceful and secure future. pic.twitter.com/LmYDCTSgVW
No negotiations despite catastrophic conditions
Since last year, as a result of the ongoing conflict in Sudan, more than 13,000 people were killed in Sudan with more than 30,000 others injured, Sudanese Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim told Sputnik.
"Since April 15, as a result of the fighting in Khartoum and other provinces of Sudan, more than 13,000 people have been killed and over 30,000 have been injured," Ibrahim said.
He emphasized that because of the shelling by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, more than 70% of hospitals and medical facilities are out of service in the Khartoum province.
Despite the famine and the spiking death toll, the head of Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, affirmed on April 13 that he would refrain from negotiating with the Rapid Support Forces as long as the conflict continues.
He emphasized his dedication to the "Jeddah Platform" and stressed the importance of the Rapid Support Forces fulfilling their commitments.
Al-Burhan addressed army officers and soldiers in the Omdurman military region, west of Khartoum, stating that the armed forces are open to negotiation, arguing that the process and conditions must be clarified. He stressed that "we will not engage in negotiations as long as the war continues" and citizens' homes remain occupied.
He stressed that if the rebels wish to negotiate, they must first remove their forces outside these occupied cities and gather in specific areas, adding, "We are committed to the Jeddah platform, but the other party must implement the obligations it has, according to what was signed in Jeddah."
