Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The government of the United States of America announced a donation of $172 million to cater for the humanitarian needs of Sudanese Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees hosted in neighbouring countries.
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said the donation would save the lives of vulnerable people as he urged the Sudanese government to remove barriers to humanitarian aid and security restrictions.
“The United States calls on authorities to remove these barriers and ensure safe, unhindered humanitarian access to save lives and alleviate suffering,” Blinken stated in a statement shared by the US Department of State on Tuesday.
He stressed that the total funding the US had provided for Sudan was $550 million, geared towards alleviating the suffering of the Sudanese people seeking refuge in Sudan and neighbouring countries including Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic.
He emphasised the need for a ceasefire and dialogue to end the deadlock in Sudan, pledging that the US would not withhold support from the affected people.
“The United States remains the largest single donor of humanitarian assistance to the people of Sudan, and we will continue our support for vulnerable populations within Sudan and those forced to flee due to conflict,” Blinken added.
“While we seek to identify further ways to help, we continue to believe that a ceasefire and negotiated solution are the best ways to achieve a long-term solution that addresses the causes of this humanitarian crisis.”
War broke out in Sudan on April 15, 2023, leading to massive losses in lives and displacing masses from their homes to neighbouring countries.
Last week, the minister for presidential affairs, Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin, urged the international community to save Sudanese refugees who had crossed into South Sudanese territories.
According to data from the United Nations, over 1.4 million civilians have been displaced since the war erupted between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), commanded by Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
Three days ago, warring parties in Sudan signed a 72-hour ceasefire brokered by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America, which elapsed on Wednesday at 6:00 a.m., but according to Reuters, fighting started again as soon as the 72 hours ended.
The IGAD Quartet on Monday reiterated the pursuit of the face-to-face meeting in Ethiopia as agreed by the IGAD Heads of State on June 12, 2023. The IGAD Quartet is expected to actualise the promise of face-to-face meetings with the warring parties in Sudan.
Conversely, the Sudanese government rejected the decision of the IGAD Quartet to broker the dialogue led by the Kenyan President, Dr. William Samoei Ruto.
Source: The City Review South Sudan
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