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Despite confidence, easing sanctions, funding for Sudan set to decline

February 22, 2017 at 3:34 am

Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir [DonellMc/Twitter]

According to Marta Rueda, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan,

Sudan is taking some very positive steps which are recognised, and… normally that would need to be recognised also by increased funding… Yet the surrounding financial environment is one where I’m afraid that it’s going to be rather a decrease in funding,

Even in the context of the recent easing of sanctions by the US – undertaken in the last days of the Obama presidency – broader trends suggest that Sudan should expect a cut in humanitarian aid. According to Rueda:

The easing of sanctions is a significant step towards generating a new relationship with more trust … The funders generally are having a more positive view of the evolving situation here

However, “overall funding is going down for the United Nations, for humanitarian aid, for development aid.”

The United Nations had sought to raise $952 million, in order to aid 4.6 million people across the Sudan, in international appeal it last year but achieved only 55% of that total. For 2017, however, sights are set lower, with a goal of helping only 3 million people.