The European Commission has announced a 106 million EUR financial package for Sudan. 46 million EUR will be dedicated to humanitarian assistance and 60 million EUR to development to directly help the Sudanese people affected by under-nutrition, disease, forced displacement and extreme conditions. Around 4.8 million people in Sudan currently need urgent assistance, 3.6 million are in need of food and livelihoods assistance, and there are around 2.2 million malnourished children below the age of 5.
“Here in Sudan the humanitarian situation continues to be critical. Millions have been displaced for many years in Darfur. Our new EU funding is crucial to respond to the needs of the increasing numbers of refugees, notably from South Sudan, and internally displaced people, as well as of the hosting communities,” said Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides during his visit to the country. 46 million EUR of the support package will help cover food, shelters, education, water and sanitation while 13 million is part of an emergency assistance package announced earlier this year. 60-million development funds will be channeled through the EU Emergency Trust for Africa.
The new aid comes at a time when United Nations aid agencies are dealing with an acute shortage of funds from international donors to meet relief needs in Sudan. The UN had appealed for $804 million in aid for Sudan for this year, but as of end September only 38 percent of that had been raised. The UN says that insufficient funds have forced many health facilities close in conflict zones of Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan.
