Sudan

A South Sudanese woman who fled to Khartoum during the north–south civil war prepares to return to her homeland with her family.

Christy Forster/USAID

Key Developments

Since January, fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and armed groups, as well as inter-communal clashes, across Darfur have displaced approximately 300,000 people, both internally and as refugees to neighboring countries, the U.N. reports. Humanitarian agencies are responding to needs among the displaced but are severely constrained by access restrictions and security risks. On May 31, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Joseph D. Stafford declared a disaster due to the upsurge of fighting and its effects of large-scale displacement in four of five states in Darfur.

Clashes in late April between SAF and the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) in parts of Northern Kordofan and Southern Kordofan states have displaced approximately 53,000 people, the U.N. reports. International humanitarian organizations are collaborating to provide assistance to the displaced population but remain constrained by the requirement to operate through local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and Government of Sudan (GoS) ministries.

To date in FY 2013, the U.S. Government (USG) has provided approximately $86.2 million to address the needs of vulnerable populations across Sudan, including IDPs, refugees, and host communities. With this assistance, the USG is strengthening emergency response capabilities; supporting health, nutrition, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services; providing food aid; and reducing the economic impact of violence and displacement on affected communities.

HUMANITARIAN FUNDING To Sudan IN FY 2013*

*These figures are current as of May 31, 2013.

Background

Sudan continues to cope with the effects of conflict, economic shocks, and perennial environmental hazards, such as drought and flooding. Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states continues to affect civilians and cause displacement, including to neighboring Ethiopia and South Sudan.  In Darfur, an estimated 1.7 million people remained in internally displaced person (IDP) camps as of July 2012, according to the U.N. Criminality and clashes over resources—mainly land and water—remain commonplace throughout Darfur. On October 17, 2011, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires, a.i., Mary C. Yates renewed the Sudan complex emergency disaster declaration for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012. The U.S. Mission in Sudan has declared disasters in response to the complex emergency on an annual basis since 1987. As of August 17, the U.S. Government (USG) had provided more than $295.9 million in humanitarian assistance to Sudan in FY 2012.