The UK cannot stand by as Sudan falls apart
Sudan is fast approaching the two-year anniversary of its brutal conflict, with no end in sight.
David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, will soon be hosting talks in London to re-energise the lagging peace process. These talks must succeed. Sudan has been torn apart with unimaginable brutality. Fighting continues between Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with both pursuing military victory at all costs.
The human toll is unfathomable: 12.7 million displaced and millions on the brink of starvation. In some areas, famine has already been declared. Some of the 300,000 pregnant women who are running for safety end up giving birth on the roadside. Reports of systematic rape and sexual violence, even against children, have been met with deafening silence.
The country's social fabric is being violently torn apart before our eyes. Yet the global response to this unfolding horror has been one of shameful neglect and plain indifference. The UN Security Council stays in a state of paralysis, with the UK-led resolution to protect civilians blocked by Russia's veto in November.
We cannot stand by as Sudan descends further into chaos. There is an urgent need to reset the humanitarian response which has been woefully inadequate. We are facing the largest and most devastating humanitarian crisis, with over 30 million people needing aid – more than half of them children.
Yet aid funding to Sudan is on a cliff-face – the latest UN appeal only six per cent funded. This means critical services shutting down and people in desperate need being denied basic care. The prospect of further cuts to the UK's own aid budget is also looming on the horizon.
The upcoming talks in London on April 15 must serve as a catalyst to reignite the political process towards peace. Top of the agenda must be ensuring unrestricted access so agencies can reach those in desperate need - this requires greater UN presence in areas like Darfur. The protection of civilians and enforcement of international humanitarian law must also be key priorities for the discussions.
However, we cannot afford to wait for the peace process to reach its conclusion. A humanitarian crisis is already unfolding, demanding immediate action. Aid must be significantly scaled up without delay. The UK should set an example by making a substantial commitment to protect and increase aid to Sudan and the surrounding region.
At the start of this year, David Lammy told Parliament that we 'refuse to let these conflicts be forgotten.' Yet years of shameful neglect has already steered Sudan towards a potentially irreconcilable path of deepening conflict.
The stakes could not be higher. If we do not meet this challenge, millions of innocent lives hang in the balance.
Sarah Champion is the Labour MP for Rotherham and the Chair of the International Development Select Committee
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