Fatshimetrie reveals Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s bold announcement of $230 million in aid for conflict-torn Sudan in what is expected to be one of his last visits to the United Nations before the end of his term.
With the UN Security Council grappling with unprecedented divisions, Blinken is set to chair two major meetings on Thursday, marking the conclusion of his four-year term marked by renewed wars in Europe and crises in the Middle East.
In addition to the situation in Sudan, Blinken will also address a crucial topic: artificial intelligence.
The aid package includes $200 million for humanitarian aid and $30 million to support Sudan’s return to democratic governance.
With this latest announcement, total U.S. assistance since the conflict began exceeds $2.3 billion.
Sudan, a predominantly Arab country on the edge of sub-Saharan Africa, descended into civil war in 2023 as fighting erupted between the military and the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group that emerged from the notorious Janjaweed militia in Darfur.
Longstanding rivalries between the military and paramilitary leaders have sparked violence in the capital, Khartoum, and spilled over into Darfur and other regions.
Aid groups say Sudan has not attracted enough global attention.
While exact figures are difficult to ascertain, it is estimated that at least 24,000 lives have been lost and millions displaced in a conflict largely overshadowed by ongoing wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Fatshimetrie welcomes this initiative to support Sudan and stresses the importance of not underestimating the impact of conflicts on the population and the need for concerted international action to provide vital aid to this country in the grip of tragedy.