Washington, DC
DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR ISOBEL COLEMAN: Thank you Mohy [Omer], and thank you so much Tom [Perriello] for your terrific and ceaseless leadership on trying to bring this terrible conflict to a close, we really appreciate it. And thanks to all of you for joining us here today.
As Tom noted, we don't need to impress upon this group how dire the crisis is in Sudan. We have Famine already occurring in several regions, and the increased need for humanitarian access and heightened advocacy for a peaceful resolution of this conflict only grows more critical day by day.
So the ongoing conflict and obstruction of humanitarian assistance by both the SAF [Sudanese Armed Forces] and the RSF [Rapid Support Forces] have led to the world's largest hunger and displacement crisis, with over 25 million people in Sudan experiencing acute hunger, and one million people on the brink of Famine, not only in Zamzam, but Famine may be occurring in nearby Abu Shouk and also on IDP [Internally Displaced Persons] camps.
So you know, of the nearly eight million people who were displaced internally, more than half of them are women and children. And rain and floods have also caused displacement, exacerbating humanitarian needs and contributing to disease outbreaks such as cholera. And then on August 25 in the Red Sea state Arba’at, the dam collapsed due to heavy rainfall, resulting in over 130 deaths and adversely affecting tens of thousands of people.
As Tom has noted, protection of civilians is dire with escalating gender-based violence, targeted attacks on civilians and grave violations of children's rights. So even as other conflicts like the war in Gaza and Ukraine have continued to dominate the headlines, I just want to assure you that USAID is responding in Sudan. The crisis there is one of our top humanitarian priorities.
The United States continues to be the largest donor of humanitarian aid to the Sudan response, providing more than $1.6 billion in humanitarian assistance since the start of Fiscal Year 2023 including more than a billion in USAID funding. We remain committed to supporting the people of Sudan as this brutal conflict continues.
USAID supports more than 30 public international organizations (PIOs) and NGO partners, providing life-saving assistance in areas where conditions permit them, even being able to get there while supporting - as Tom has noted - efforts to expand humanitarian access that is absolutely critical to this response.
The majority of humanitarian delivery in Sudan is done by local organizations, which will continue to be the bedrock of the humanitarian response based on their unique capacities, their deep local knowledge, and their trust throughout their communities. USAID is currently providing approximately $31 million to support more than 45 local partner organizations through our direct partnerships with NGOs and PIOs in sectors like food security, health, humanitarian protection, nutrition, and WASH [hater, hygiene, and sanitation].
USAID continues to work with our partners as they adjust their operations to be able to safely provide critical humanitarian assistance and pivot existing assistance to respond to new emergency needs on the ground as the security situation permits. While the operating context has changed, USAID's commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Sudan has not, and we stand with them during this difficult time.
In addition to humanitarian assistance, USAID stabilization, peace-building, and development programs are helping Sudanese people amidst the current conflict and supporting them in preparing for a future beyond this crisis. For example, USAID is supporting Sudanese farmers in building resilience and mitigating food insecurity by equipping farmers with the tools they need to plant, harvest, and store crops. USAID is also assisting the vaccination of livestock by delivering nearly 13 million vaccine doses to inoculate over four million animals, protecting the main assets of approximately 300,000 households.
Across Sudan, USAID supports trauma awareness activities, including sessions specifically tailored to children, aimed to help communities cope with and recover from the traumatic events associated with living through this harrowing crisis. USAID continues to work with communities on peace messaging and combating the militarization of the Sudanese society, and to support programs that protect human rights, promote democracy, and empower civil society in Sudan. We're also engaging with Sudanese civilian leaders and civil society in discussions about Sudan's future to ensure Sudan's citizens are at the forefront.
And yet we know these efforts are nowhere close to enough. The scale of the current humanitarian need far outpaces the resources USAID and even the entire international development community has at our disposal. So the U.S. has been leading the global call for additional donors to step up in responding to the crisis in Sudan.
As the United States continues to mobilize our response, we need you. As members of the Sudanese diaspora, your voices are critical. You and your families continue to be affected by the multiple crises in Sudan. And so to all advocates in the room today, I urge you to continue your public and private advocacy for protecting the people of Sudan, not just for a surge in humanitarian assistance, which we all know is hugely needed, but a push to end this brutal conflict for good. We must continue pressure to disarm, halt the conflict, and support a lasting peace. Thank you for your participation in the dialogue today and for your continued advocacy and support of the people of Sudan.
Conversations like this are really important to USAID. These touch points not only help us share what we're doing, but also enrich and inform our work. So as Mohy said, we really want to hear from you. Thank you all, and I'm looking forward to hearing your suggestions on what we can do differently, and any ideas you might have. So thank you.