New York — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the United States will be providing $200 million in additional humanitarian assistance to Sudan. He made the announcement as he chaired a ministerial-level session of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) yesterday.
The UNSC session, held to address the escalating violence and growing humanitarian needs in Sudan, also featured a briefing from Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher, who recently visited Sudan.
Fletcher described catastrophic conditions exacerbated by shelling and fighting, especially in Darfur, and how ongoing violence has displaced millions and left the population in desperate need of aid.
In addition to the $200 million for humanitarian efforts in Sudan and neighbouring countries, Blinken announced that the State Department will work with Congress to provide $30 million to support Sudanese civil society. "The failure to act in Sudan threatens the peace and security that this council is charged with preserving," he warned.
A day before the meeting, Ned Price, the US Deputy Representative to the United Nations, told reporters during a press briefing that the meeting aims to keep the crisis in the international spotlight, warning that "Sudan risks becoming a forgotten conflict." He added that the US "will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to ensure humanitarian access, deliver aid, and push toward a cessation of hostilities."
Also on Wednesday, the US Special Envoy to Sudan Tom Perriello met with UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy Ramtane Lamamra in Mauritania to discuss the UN's role in resolving the crisis.
Senator
Ahead of the UNSC session, Sen. Benjamin Cardin, chairperson of the US Senate foreign relations committee, sent a letter to Blinken calling for decisive measures to address Sudan's crisis at the UNSC.
Cardin criticised the lack of progress in reaching a long-lasting ceasefire and called for a comprehensive arms embargo covering all of Sudan. He noted ongoing reports of weapons flowing to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which violate the existing embargo on Darfur, and stressed the urgent need to hold perpetrators of atrocities accountable.
The senator further urged the UNSC to implement measures ensuring civilian protection, expanding humanitarian access, and building regional consensus to address the conflict. He particularly condemned violations of international humanitarian law, including the use of starvation and sexual violence as weapons of war.
While the Biden administration has "limited time to execute a strategy", Cardin noted, its remaining weeks provide a critical opportunity to lead international efforts to alleviate the suffering of Sudanese civilians. "We need the individual and collective will to exercise the authorities available to the Security Council, bilateral actors, and regional organisations without further hesitation," he stated.
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"Sudan's people deserve far more from the international community than what has been offered."
Now in its 21st month, Sudan's conflict has displaced millions and devastated infrastructure. US-brokered talks in Geneva earlier this year failed to achieve a ceasefire after the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) refused to participate.
