About $2.6 billion required in Sudan for humanitarian needs: UN

A senior United Nations (UN) official said on Wednesday (May 17) that the agency's humanitarian response plan is seeking USD 2.56 billion to help people affected by the crisis in Sudan. The UN refugee agency is also seeking more funding to assist those who were forced to run away from their homes.

"The funding requirements of nearly $2.6 billion is also the highest for any humanitarian appeal for Sudan," said Ramesh Rajasingham, head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva and director of the Coordination Division.

"Today, 25 million people, more than half the population of Sudan, need humanitarian aid and protection. This is the highest number we have ever seen in the country," he added.

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The plan is a revised version of the annual humanitarian plan for 2023. It designed to target 18 million people in need.

Sudan is currently experiencing a military and humanitarian crisis that is threatening to destabilise the region. The crisis has been caused by fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict has displaced more than 700,000 people inside Sudan and has forced about 200,000 to flee into neighbouring countries.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), making a joint appeal with the aid agency on Wednesday, said it was seeking $472 million to assist more than 1 million people over the next six months.

"Sadly, we need once again to call on countries and individuals with the means to step up for innocent people who have lost everything through no fault of their own," said Raouf Mazou, Assistant High Commissioner for Operations at UNHCR.

Sudanese capital Khartoum and its sister cities of Bahri and Omdurman are experiencing intense battles despite Saudi and US-brokered talks between the two sides.

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The fighting has spread to the western region of Darfur, but has been concentrated in the capital, where RSF fighters have taken up positions across neighborhoods and the army has used air strikes and heavy artillery fire to target them.

The unrest has killed at least 676 people and injured 5,576, according to official figures, though with many reports of people missing and bodies left unburied, the real toll is expected to be much higher.

(With inputs from agencies)

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