In September of this year Caritas Internationalis and ACT Alliance worked in consultation with the Bishops of Sudan to launch a joint appeal aimed at averting an imminent famine in Sudan. This appeal is supported locally by the Caritas Australia Sudan Crisis Appeal.
Despite being one of the world’s most severe humanitarian disasters, the crisis in Sudan is also one of the most underfunded. Additionally, many local first responders are the ones delivering vital services but receive little to no funding from larger agencies.
At the latest UN General Assembly side event focussed on the cost of inaction in Sudan, a statement from Caritas Internationalis and ACT Alliance was presented.
The statement affirmed the need to “support local first responders, who are currently the backbone of the response in Sudan.” In response, the statement said, the Caritas Internationalis and ACT Alliance joint appeal is focused on ensuring “funds reach smaller, informal and community-based organisations in remote areas of the country which international agencies cannot reach or access.”
It also called on “all parties to the conflict to allow unimpeded humanitarian access to civilians in need,” asking “governments at UNGA to take every diplomatic action possible to end this catastrophe.”
The statement also raised the voices of local faith leaders in Sudan, one of whom stated that “The cries of our children will echo for generations if the world does not act now.” Another expressed concern that: "If nothing changes, entire generations will be lost, and hope for peace may never return.”
In Sudan 25.6 million people – over half of the population – now face acute hunger, with more than 755,000 people on the brink of famine. 10.7 million people are also displaced within Sudan and neighbouring countries, 7.9 million of which have been forced from their homes since the outbreak of civil conflict on 15 April 2023.
Over half of those displaced in Sudan itself are children under the age of 18 years, with reports from the UN describing them as having “endured more than a year of separation, human rights violations, trauma, violence, and lack of access to basic services”.
Caritas Internationalis and ACT Alliance are supporting displaced people and refugees in North Darfur, North Kordofan, River Nile, Khartoum, and White Nile states. This includes improving access to clean water, rehabilitating water systems, installing solar-powered water points, and constructing sanitation facilities, benefiting over 29,000 people. Hygiene promotion and kit distribution will reach nearly 100,000 people.
Caritas is also offering support to over 15,000 people through Women and Girls’ Safe Spaces, providing counselling and psychosocial services, and promoting awareness on issues like violence and early marriage through active community involvement.
