The United States has pledged an additional $200 million in humanitarian aid to Sudan, bringing its total commitment to $2.3 billion, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Thursday.
Sudan is grappling with one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with 20 months of brutal conflict between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) plunging the country into chaos.
Speaking at a United Nations Security Council meeting, Blinken condemned the devastation caused by the ongoing war. “We see on too many Sudanese faces hunger, despair,” he said, adding that in some regions, people are resorting to eating grass and peanut shells to survive.
The World Food Programme has warned that Sudan risks becoming the largest hunger crisis in recent history, with 1.7 million people facing famine or at risk of it.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that $4.2 billion will be needed to address Sudan’s humanitarian needs in 2024. However, only a fraction of the required aid is reaching those in need, according to OCHA operations director Edem Wosornu.
Much of western Sudan’s Darfur region is now under RSF control, along with large parts of the Kordofan region and central Sudan. The regular army holds the north and east, while the capital, Khartoum, remains a contested battleground.
The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced over 11 million people, creating one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent memory. Indiscriminate bombings, targeted attacks on civilians, and deliberate strikes on medical facilities have been reported.
Just this week, 10 civilians were killed and 20 injured in RSF shelling of El-Fasher, North Darfur’s besieged capital. The attack struck the city’s main hospital and other areas, exacerbating the humanitarian toll.
Experts and humanitarian advocates are urging the international community to take decisive action. The United States’ renewed commitment comes as global leaders grapple with how to address the violence and provide relief to Sudan’s suffering population.
