UN asks for 2.7 billion euros to help Sudanese population

The United Nations needs 2.7 billion euros in emergency aid to help the population in Sudan, which is suffering from the conflict between the army and paramilitaries. The organisation expects more than a million Sudanese refugees this year.

According to the plan released by the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Geneva on Wednesday, nearly 25 million people need aid, more than half the population. "This is the highest number ever in the country," said the head of the UN agency in Geneva, Ramesh Rajasingham.

OCHA and its partners aim to help 18 million people, a third more than expected. Since mid-April, nearly a million people have fled their homes, more than 70 per cent of them within the country. "With this crisis, the threat of a possible famine is increasing," Ramesh Rajasingham admitted. Many households have no food, no access to water and no healthcare.

The Sudanese armed forces have been fighting the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since 15 April. Over 700,000 civilians have fled within the country, and another 200,000 Sudanese have left the country. More than 1,000 civilian deaths are said to have already occurred.

^{People board a mini-bus as they evacuate southern Khartoum. © AFP}