Denmark announces DKK 100 million in humanitarian aid for Sudan

Denmark is providing an additional DKK 100 million in humanitarian aid for Sudan, where more than 33 million people are in need of assistance.

Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen announced the new funding as he put the situation in Sudan on the agenda of the UN Security Council.

The Danish aid will help provide food and clean water to displaced people, psychosocial support for victims of violence and protection for refugees in Sudan and neighbouring countries.

“Sudan is the world’s largest humanitarian disaster right now, but it receives remarkably little attention. Millions are in desperate need, and displacement threatens stability in the region and increases refugee pressure in Europe’s neighbouring regions,” Rasmussen said.

“We have both a humanitarian responsibility and a clear strategic interest in supporting Sudan’s civilian population. That is why we are now providing a significant humanitarian contribution so that more Sudanese can receive the protection and emergency assistance they urgently need.”

More than 33 million people in Sudan, over half of them children, are in need of humanitarian assistance. Around 19 million people are facing acute food insecurity, and famine has been declared in several areas.

The crisis has also displaced more than 11 million people.

Aid divided between three organisations

Of the DKK 100 million, DKK 40 million will go to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The organisation supports hospitals and health clinics and provides emergency surgery, rehabilitation and psychosocial assistance to people affected by conflict and violence. Together with the Sudanese Red Crescent, the ICRC also provides food, cash assistance and access to clean water.

Another DKK 30 million will go to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to support internally displaced people in Sudan and Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan.

The funding will support measures including refugee registration, food assistance, healthcare, mental health services and efforts to combat gender-based violence.

The remaining DKK 30 million will be provided to the UN’s Sudan Humanitarian Fund. The funding will be used to address urgent needs including food, nutrition, water and sanitation, healthcare and education.