Sudan: UN seeks close to $3 billion in humanitarian aid

The UN humanitarian response plan is seeking close to $3 billion (€ 2.7 billion) to provide urgent aid to people affected by the crisis.

Ramesh Rajasingham, head of the UN office for the coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva said that close to 25 million people, "more than half the population of Sudan, need aid and protection"

"This is the highest number we have ever seen in the country," he said.

Sudan's highest humanitarian appeal

A few months ago it was predicted that $1.75 billion would be needed for humanitarian assistance.

In a revision of the response plan issued after the bloody conflict erupted on April 15, the UN said that $2.56 billion would be needed for aid inside Sudan.

In a joint appeal, the UN's refugee agency said it was seeking another $470 million for more than 1 million people who have fled the country, or are expected to do so in the next six months.

The current finding requirements, Rajasingham said, is the "highest for any humanitarian appeal for Sudan."

The deteriorating situation in Sudan

Last week, the World Health Organization said that the death toll in ongoing clashes in Sudan has risen to 604 people and over 5,000 have been injured.

The UN migration agency said the numbers of those who were internally displaced by the nearly monthlong fighting has risen to 700,000.

The figures were on top of 3.7 million people who were already internally displaced before the conflict began, according to the UN agency.

Since April 15, Sudan has been rocked by clashes.

The conflict is between the Sudanese Armed Forces units loyal to Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the army general and their rival Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo's Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the country's main paramilitary force.

In December 2022, the military forces and civilian representatives signed a transition deal, which pushed to bring the RSF within the Sudanese military.

Dagalo, whose paramilitary is thought to be 100,000-man strong, does not favor such a restructuring.

Provocation and accusations from both sides erupted into the ongoing violent conflict.

ns/rt (Reuters, AFP)