The European Union, through the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) department, has provided a € 7 million donation to the UN World Food Program. The investment aims to help combat the emergency hunger situation that Sudan is experiencing.
The donation is designed to support the actions needed to alleviate the urgent situation facing Sudan. Between 2018 and 2019, the European Union donated a total of € 13 million to the humanitarian fund.
The actions of this humanitarian commission are aimed at combating and preventing malnutrition, targeting mothers and children living in hard to reach areas. Severe malnutrition affects 1.8 million children under the age of five who are embedded in the emergency reality of Sudan.
The fund, however, will not be focused on one specific action, but it will also be part of donations to communities that are in a food vulnerable situation. It aims to reach 600,000 people, also providing assistance to refugees in northern and southern Darfur.
It is also intended to make financial transfers to people in critical situations, making the local economy move positively. This flow has been shown to have a positive impact on people’s individual lives and, consequently, shows a change in collective living.
The donation makes possible an action directed to the urgent needs of the Sudanese, allowing a “hybrid” assistance modality. This way you can make a kit containing a food mix, food stamps, and cash.
Donations to ECHO from Europe have been made since 2012, accumulating an amount of € 153 million donated to actions to combat emergency situations.
Hunger in Sudan
The war in Sudan began in 2013 and has lasted approximately six years. The UN estimates that in southern Sudan about 4.2 million children live in precarious situations. The organization also states that 1.1 million children are severely malnourished.