Canada to provide $71 million in humanitarian aid for Sudan, neighboring countries

By Firdevs Bulut Kartal

TORONTO (AA) - Canada has allocated more than $71 million in humanitarian assistance to Sudan and neighboring countries affected by the armed conflict, the government announced Wednesday.

The humanitarian aid will be sent to the UN, Red Cross and other NGO partners for Sudan ($30.69 million), South Sudan ($31.12 million) and the Central African Republic ($10 million), Minister of International Development and Minister for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, Harjit S. Sajjan, said at a news conference.

"Canada is deeply concerned by the conflict in Sudan and its humanitarian impact on the country’s population and those living in neighboring countries already struggling as a result of poverty, violence, food insecurity and climate change," a government statement said after the news conference.

Canadan invited all parties to protect civilian infrastructure and facilitate humanitarian access for the provision of critical assistance in Sudan, it said.

The funding supports ongoing humanitarian efforts in the region and is provided on a flexible basis, allowing partners to adapt and adjust efforts as the situation evolves in and around Sudan, it said.

The humanitarian aid will help people meet basic needs, including food assistance, protection, water, sanitation and hygiene and health services.

The Sudanese capital, Khartoum, has been engulfed by violence for weeks with fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group.

A disagreement had been fomenting in recent months between the army and RSF regarding the group’s integration into the armed forces, a key condition of Sudan's transition agreement with political groups.

Sudan has been without a functioning government since October 2021, when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's transitional government and declared a state of emergency in a move decried by political forces as a "coup."

The transitional period, which started in August 2019 after the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir, is scheduled to end with elections in early 2024.