International donors pledge $1.5 billion in Sudan aid

Geneva, June 20 (BNA): International donors on Monday pledged nearly $1.5 billion in aid to Sudan and the surrounding region, about half of the estimated needs of the deepening humanitarian crisis that has displaced some 2.2 million people from their homes.

The conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has turned the capital, Khartoum, into a war zone and has led to repeated deadly attacks and mass displacement in the western region of Darfur as well as other parts of the country.

Although a 72-hour ceasefire has lulled fighting in Khartoum since Sunday, residents reported looting escalating as clashes subsided, and the International Committee of the Red Cross said gunfire prevented wounded soldiers from being taken to hospital, he said. population. to Reuters.

In El Geneina, the worst-affected city in Darfur, witnesses and aid workers said desperate residents try to flee attacks by Arab militias, only to face murder, rape or detention as they head on foot to the nearby border with Chad.

A fundraising conference in Geneva hosted by Germany, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and the United Nations was intended to drum up pledges to support relief efforts that have been hampered by ceasefire violations, looting and bureaucratic oversight.

Martin Griffiths, the UN aid coordinator, said donors had announced pledges of about $1.5 billion, though it was not immediately clear if all the money was new or when it would be disbursed.

This included 200 million euros ($218 million) from Germany and $171 million from the United States. The European Union said it pledged 190 million euros, while Qatar pledged $50 million.

“This crisis will require sustained financial support, and I hope we can all keep Sudan at the top of our priorities,” Griffiths said.

USAID Administrator Samantha Power said the United States contributed more than half of the funding to Sudan, which she described as unsustainable.

“The funds pledged today fail to meet the urgency of the situation,” said David McDonald of CARE.

MI