Sudan: 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan unveiled

December 21, 2023 (PORT SUDAN) – The humanitarian community in Sudan on Thursday launched the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) to address the most urgent and critical needs of 14.7 million people displaced and affected by the Sudan’s ongoing conflict that erupted in mid-April 2023.

The humanitarian needs and response plan includes people newly displaced, some of whom were already living in protracted displacement, refugees that found shelter and assistance in Sudan, and host communities that have generously taken in millions of displaced people from conflict-affected areas.

Heavy fighting that started in Khartoum on 15 April 2023 quickly spread to the larger Darfur and Kordofan regions and has had an impact on every state in the country. Since then, the ongoing conflict has displaced millions of people and it is now the largest displacement and protection crisis in the world.

“More than eight months since the start of the conflict, the humanitarian needs keep growing and almost 25 million people across Sudan will require humanitarian assistance in 2024. At the same time, the severity levels and scope of the needs are increasing,” said the Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami.

The fighting has also caused extensive damage to critical infrastructure and an estimated 70% of health facilities in states affected by conflict are not working.

Devastating conflict, coupled with the continued economic decline, has driven about 17.7 million people across Sudan into high levels of acute food insecurity. About 3 million children are displaced making Sudan the country with the highest number of displaced children globally. In addition, 19 million are not in school.

Meanwhile, lack of access due to insecurity and bureaucratic impediments are hindering humanitarian organizations from reaching those in need. Attention, or lack of it is another daunting challenge. The world is dealing with a multitude of crises, many of which receive much more attention than the crisis in Sudan, but it is not because of the scale. In that regard, the Sudan crisis has few equals.

In 2024, humanitarian organizations aim to provide humanitarian assistance and support to 14.7 million of the most vulnerable people at the cost of US$2.7 billion.

This plan, a collective effort of all humanitarian actors and stakeholders in the country, will address the specific needs of women, children, the disabled, and other vulnerable groups. The 2024 HRP will, according to the UN official, prioritize multi-cluster, life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable as in previous years.

“The UN and partners’ agencies appreciate the generous support from donors and urge them to continue supporting humanitarian action in Sudan, it is needed now more than ever,” said Nkweta-Salami.

After years of protracted crisis, Sudan plunged into a conflict of alarming scale when fighting between Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) broke out initially in the capital, Khartoum on April 15, and quickly expanded to other areas across the country.

The hostilities have resulted in extensive damage to critical infrastructure and facilities, including water and healthcare, the collapse of banking and financial services, frequent interruptions to electricity supply and telecommunication services and widespread looting. Since the conflict broke out, humanitarian needs have increased and up to 25 million people require assistance in Sudan.

Over 6.8 million people have been forced to leave their homes for safety elsewhere.

(ST)