The United States government has announced nearly $163 million in additional urgently needed humanitarian assistance to help millions of people affected by the ongoing crisis in Sudan.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations announced the funding during her visit to Chad on Wednesday.
“This funding, which includes $60 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and nearly $103 million from the U.S. Department of State, builds on the continuing U.S. support to the people of Sudan and those across the region affected by the crisis,” USAID said in a statement.
Since April 15, widespread, ongoing fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has killed thousands of people, injured thousands and forced more than 4 million people to flee their homes, including over 1 million refugees seeking safety in neighboring countries.
The ongoing crisis in Sudan, according to the US aid arm (USAID), has also resulted in grave protection violations, with an increase in gender-based violence (GBV).
This, it further stressed, includes widespread use of rape and other forms of sexual violence as a tactic to terrorize populations and instill fear and subjugation.
“With more than four million women and girls in Sudan at risk of GBV due to conflict and disruption of health and protection services, this new assistance from USAID will include support for protection activities such as GBV prevention and response and psychosocial support services for the most vulnerable and at-risk populations across the country and in neighboring countries,” the statement noted.
It is expected that this additional assistance from USAID will also “bolster existing support for humanitarian partners providing emergency food assistance, health care, nutrition support, shelter, and water, sanitation, and hygiene services, among other assistance, for millions of people in Sudan and others in the region”.
The US has provided $710 million to Sudan and neighbouring countries this year.
Meanwhile, the World Bank’s Managing Director of Operations, Anna Bjerde and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, will conduct a joint visit to Chad from September 6–8 to see firsthand the scale of the influx of refugees fleeing Sudan’s crisis to Chad and strengthen responses on the ground.
Chad has, since April 15, witnesses a significant increase in forced displacement of people from neighbouring Sudan, with 400,000 new arrivals so far registered.
According to a joint statement extended to Sudan Tribune, the World Bank, the Chadian government and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) are working in partnership to provide economic support to refugee households and host communities through emergency cash transfers and are facilitating access to education and health services under the Refugees and Host Communities Support Project (PARCA), which has already helped 70,000 families.
“Ms. Bjerde and Mr. Grandi will visit refugee camps in the country’s eastern region to engage with displaced populations and host communities in an effort to strengthen the coordination and the response of the World Bank, UNHCR, and other development partners to the crisis,” the statement noted.
The two officials, it added, will also meet with Chadian authorities, key stakeholders and development partners and will be accompanied by their delegations.
Also to be discussed during the mission are the strategic actions needed to strengthen coordination and support to refugees and host communities in the country’s eastern region as well as to bridge the humanitarian-development nexus.
Nearly 7.1 million people are internally displaced within Sudan, of whom more than half are newly displaced as a result of the conflict, the UN said on Tuesday.