United Kingdom: In the wake of the outbreak of conflict in Sudan, the UK has imposed new sanctions on businesses that are involved in financing the warring parties. These strict measures will freeze the assets of companies that are connected with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and it will limit their financial freedom.
The sanctions send a clear message to the conflicting forces that they must end the fighting and meaningfully engage in a peace process. The ongoing dispute in Sudan resulted in the ouster of over 8.6 million people, with more than 6.6 million displaced within Sudan itself, making it the worst expulsion crisis in the world.
An estimated 25 million people in Sudan require aid, and the country is in danger of facing a fatal starvation crisis. The United Nations formally cautioned of the threat of famine this year, with 18 million people presently experiencing hunger.
Last month, the UK pledged £89 million to help Sudan, with a priority on providing humanitarian assistance. The allowance will be assigned to UNICEF to supply emergency food assistance and life-saving services, such as nutrition, water, and hygiene, to 500,000 children under the age of five in hard-to-reach regions of Sudan. Additionally, it will provide aid to survivors of gender-based violence.
David Cameron, UK foreign secretary, said that, “This senseless and brutal war has devastated lives. A year on since the outbreak of fighting, we continue to see appalling atrocities against civilians, unacceptable restrictions on humanitarian access and an utter disregard for civilian life. The businesses that support the warring parties must be held to account, alongside those responsible for human rights abuses. The world must not forget about Sudan. We urgently need to end the violence.”
During his visit to Chad last month, Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell declared that the UK government would provide £89 million in funding to Sudan. This funding will be used to support UNICEF’s efforts to provide emergency and life-saving food assistance in Sudan.
Additionally, Lord Benyon participated in an International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan, where he reaffirmed the UK government’s commitment to nearly double Official Development Assistance (ODA) for Sudan to £89 million this financial year.
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