Britain To Provide $158 Million Aid For Victims Of Sudan Conflict At Conference

Britain’s government said on Tuesday it would provide 120 million pounds ($158 million) more in aid to people in Sudan, which it said faces the worst humanitarian crisis on record.

The government disclosed this as it hosted a conference marking the second anniversary of the conflict.

The war in Sudan erupted in April 2023, sparked by a power struggle between the army and Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, shattering hopes for a transition to civilian rule.

The conflict has since displaced millions and devastated regions like Darfur, where the RSF is now fighting to maintain its stronghold amid army advances in Khartoum.

Rather than mediating directly in the conflict, Britain said Tuesday’s conference in London would be a chance to improve the coherence of the international response to the crisis, although Sudan criticised the fact its government was not invited to the talks.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the war had been going on for far too long “and yet much of the world continues to look away.”

“We need to act now to stop the crisis from becoming an all-out catastrophe, ensuring aid gets to those who need it the most,” he said in a statement, adding that the combatants had shown “an appalling disregard” for Sudanese civilians.

Britain is co-hosting the London conference with the African Union, the European Union, France and Germany. Egypt, Kenya and the United Arab Emirates are among the other attendees.

Sudan’s foreign minister has written to Lammy to complain, saying Sudan should have been invited, while criticising the presence of the UAE and Kenya.

Sudan has accused the UAE of arming RSF, a charge the UAE denies but U.N. experts and U.S. lawmakers have found credible.

Sudan has also recalled its envoy to Kenya after it hosted talks between the RSF and its allies to form a parallel government.

Bankole Adeoye, African Union commissioner for political affairs, peace and security, said, “Achieving peace in Sudan depends on valuing every voice and everyone playing a role in building a prosperous Sudan.”

Britain said 30 million people desperately needed aid and 12 million people were displaced, with famine spreading through Sudan.

Lammy announced a separate 113-million-pound aid package in November, and in January he visited Sudan’s border with Chad.

However, Britain’s support for victims of the conflict comes as the government has slashed its foreign aid budget to pay for increased defence spending.