More funding needed to tackle ‘massive’ humanitarian needs in Sudan – UN relief official

The international humanitarian community in Sudan has appealed for more funds to respond to the “massive” needs in the country that has been long-affected by conflict and poverty, a senior United Nations relief official said today.

“Sudan’s projected humanitarian needs remain high, with a total of 5.4 million people – some 15 per cent of the Sudanese population – estimated to require some form of humanitarian assistance,” El-Mostafa Benlamlih, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan said today in a statement from the capital, Khartoum.

He announced theSudan 2015 Humanitarian Response Plan – a partnership with the Government and a tool used to map where humanitarian projects can best respond to people’s priority needs in Sudan and to allocate funding accordingly.

The Plan found that humanitarian organizations in Sudan will need just over $1 billion to fund projects delivered by 112 humanitarian partners to meet the needs of these people, the relief coordinator said, calling for a “collective and unified response” from the international community.

“Sudan is currently facing two major humanitarian crises simultaneously: Conflict-induced displacement, with a total of 3.1 million displaced people living away from their homes with inadequate or no access to basic services and livelihood opportunities,” said Mr. Benlamlih.

And secondly, according to the United Nations, food insecurity and malnutrition affects 4.2 million people across Sudan. At any one time, some 550,000 children in Sudan are suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition.

As the conflicts continue unabated in and around Sudan, the number of displaced and new refugees is unfortunately expected to increase, he warned.

To address these humanitarian challenges, Mr. Benlamlih said that partnerships among all stakeholders, national and international, state and non-state, donors and operational agencies, are crucial.

This will ensure people receive or can access the aid they need to survive and live in dignity, he said.