One year since the outbreak of conflict in Sudan, the EU co-hosted today with France and Germany the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and neighbouring countries. The aim of the conference was to boost support for people affected by what has become one of the worst humanitarian crises and the largest displacement crisis in the world.
Concretely, the European Commission has committed today €355 million in both humanitarian and development funding for Sudan and its neighbours. Together with the pledge from EU States of €541 million, total EU support to Sudan pledged at the conference amounts to €896 million.
The European Commission's funding will be channelled via humanitarian organisations to the most vulnerable in need suffering from consequences of the conflict in Sudan itself, but also those who have sought refuge in neighbouring countries. EU aid will provide communities with health and nutritional care, food assistance, water and sanitation, shelter, protection, and education to the most vulnerable households – internally displaced, refugee families and host communities.
Background
Violent armed clashes broke out in Sudan on 15 April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This development comes following a prolonged political gridlock after the 2021 military coup. Prior to the outbreak of violence, the political, security and economic instability, combined with a poor harvest, led to the worst humanitarian crisis in a decade. The EU had stepped up its humanitarian aid to support the most vulnerable.
Humanitarian needs were already high before April 2023, with 15.8 million people (about a third of the total population) requiring humanitarian assistance, including 11.7 million people facing acute food insecurity. Current estimates now report that 24.8 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance (about half of the population) and 17.7 million acutely food insecure people, a record number in the middle of the harvest season.
Sudan now has the largest number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the world, with over 9 million IDPs.
Neighbouring countries facing their own internal challenges now need to address also the massive influx of arrivals from Sudan in their territories. In total, over 2 million people have fled Sudan towards the neighbouring countries.
