JERSEY Overseas Aid is to donate £150,000 to two humanitarian charities supporting the millions of people affected by the devastating conflict in Sudan.
Fighting between rival factions of the African state’s military government has left an estimated 24.7 million people in need of aid and resulted in 450,000 fleeing to neighbouring countries including Chad, South Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia.
JOA – the Island’s publicly-funded relief and development agency – yesterday announced that it had allocated £75,000 to the United Nations’ Refugee Agency, UNHCR, and a further £75,000 to CARE International.
International Development Minister Carolyn Labey, who is also chair of JOA, said: ‘I am deeply saddened that the devastating conflict in Sudan continues.
‘In the early weeks of fighting, it was incredibly difficult for humanitarian agencies to get support to those who needed it.
‘There have been widespread reports of attacks on healthcare facilities, including the burning down of a factory that produces vital supplies for the treatment of malnourished children in Khartoum.
‘Although access has now improved, many humanitarian agencies were forced to suspend operations in April and early May following the targeting and killing of aid workers. As a consequence, there are now gaps in the current response across all areas and a need to urgently scale-up support.’
In late May, charities launched a revised humanitarian response plan for 2023, seeking $2.6 billion to help provide food, water and sanitation, protection services and other life-saving assistance. As of today, only 14% of the required total funding has been received.
JOA’s £75,000 allocation to UNHCR will be used to support the UN agency’s six-month regional response plan which is focusing on providing essential support for neighbouring countries as the number of displaced people rises.
CARE International, meanwhile, will use the donation for its life-saving work on improving health and nutrition in the country, as well as tackling gender-based violence.
