Press release
Tánaiste announces €8.5 million in humanitarian support for Sudan
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
Ireland will provide €8.5 million in humanitarian support for Sudan this year, it was announced today at a UN pledging conference in Geneva.
The pledge was made in response to the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in the country. Since conflict erupted in April, the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in Sudan has surged to 24.7 million with 1.9 million people displaced.
Ireland’s contribution of €8.5 million in 2023 will deliver humanitarian support to people in Sudan, as well as Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries, through bodies including the UN, International Red Cross and Irish NGOs.
The contribution includes over 50 tonnes of emergency supplies from Ireland’s humanitarian stocks which were flown into South Sudan last Friday to support those fleeing the conflict in Sudan. The airlift is worth over €500,000 and consists of 200 tents, 5,000 thermal blankets, 5,000 water jerry cans, 2,000 solar lamps, 2,000 hygiene kits, 1,000 kitchen sets and 1,700 mosquito nets. The items will be distributed by Irish Aid partner, Goal, to support at least 5,000 people in Renk, South Sudan. The items were carried on two flights, which left the UN's Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) in Accra, Ghana on Friday 16 June.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin said:
"The worsening humanitarian situation in Sudan is deeply concerning. The current conflict has displaced almost two million people and is causing immense suffering. We call on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and guarantee full, safe and unfettered humanitarian access in line with International Humanitarian Law.
"It is imperative that the international community respond to the suffering in Sudan. Ireland will continue to work with partners to meet the needs of those affected by the conflict and to promote a return to the democratic transition that is vital for Sudan’s future."
Minister for International Development Sean Fleming said:
"Sudan was already facing a severe humanitarian crisis before the recent outbreak of hostilities. The conflict has led to millions of people being unable to provide for themselves. It is also worsening the situation in neighbouring countries, who are trying to support thousands of displaced Sudanese while also facing severe droughts and other challenges themselves. The response to this crisis has to be a regional one. Ireland recently pledged nearly €20 million to support efforts to avert famine in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. This is in addition to total direct assistance of €100 million to countries across the region, including Sudan, in 2022."
Violent armed clashes broke out in Khartoum on 15 April between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and quickly spread to the periphery, including in the Darfur states.
On 19 June, the United Nations, the Governments of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Republic of Germany, the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the African Union and the European Union will convene a High-level Pledging Event to Support the Humanitarian Response in Sudan and the Region.
The €8.5 million in support announced by Ireland includes funding to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) country based pooled fund (CBPF) which supports International and local NGOs in Sudan, and prepositioned funding to Irish NGOs working in Sudan and in neighbouring countries. The contribution includes additional funding of €1 million to the OCHA CBPF and funding for the deployment of emergency stocks to the region to support Sudanese refugees fleeing the violence. Ireland also supports humanitarian action in the region through contributions to multilateral humanitarian action. This includes core funding to WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF, ICRC and others who are playing such an important role in helping to alleviate the catastrophic impact of the conflict on delivery of health and other services.
Ireland’s early contribution of €12.5 million in March 2023 to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has helped to enable the allocation of immediate flexible funding where it was needed most. The OCHA CBPF operates in cooperation with the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). Ireland is currently the 8th largest donor to the CERF.
Under Ireland’s Rapid Response Initiative, Ireland pre-positions emergency and humanitarian relief items around the world. We stockpile in UN Humanitarian Response Depots (UNHRD) which are strategically located near disaster and crisis prone areas. Ireland’s stocks are located in Dubai (UAE), Accra (Ghana) and Brindisi (Italy). UNHRD not only procures and stores Ireland’s stocks but also arranges for their packaging and transport to the crisis affected country. Stockpiling relief items allows Ireland to obtain lower prices through economies of scale, with prices agreed and purchases finalised before a crisis strikes. It also facilitates faster delivery of stocks into crises, and shared and lower transport costs.