Ahead of a donor conference scheduled for Berlin on Wednesday concerning Sudan, the president of the German Red Cross, Hermann Gröhe, painted a dire picture of the situation in the African country. Speaking to the press group Funke, he stated that “the humanitarian situation in Sudan is one of the worst in the world, and this has been the case for several years. The suffering reported by our sister organization is unimaginable”. He added that approximately 33 million people require humanitarian aid, with around 13 million having fled.
Speaking about the Sudan conference, Gröhe stressed that the people of Sudan need not only more attention, protection, and security, but also urgent support. He expressed deep concern that a potential halving of funds allocated for humanitarian aid in the federal budget might even force them to reduce their assistance in this highly crisis-affected country.
A statement from the German Red Cross noted that three years after the conflict began, its devastating effects are visible and felt almost everywhere in the country. The DRK is collaborating closely with its sister organization, the Sudanese Red Crescent (SRC), which has already provided emergency assistance to 8.3 million people. Shortages are evident in adequate healthcare, emergency shelter, clean water, and food. Tragically, 22 SRC staff members have lost their lives in the conflict over the past three years.