The Republic of Sudan
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Office of the Spokesperson and Media Directorate
Press Statement
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would like to refute the allegations carried by some media outlets that the Government of Sudan is preventing the delivery of humanitarian assistance to certain areas in Sudan. In this regard, the Ministry reiterates the commitment of the Government of Sudan to the Jeddah Declaration on Humanitarian Principles signed on May 11, 2023, and the subsequent commitments on humanitarian affairs, as this represents the binding legal framework to address all humanitarian aspects, including the delivery of aid to all parts of the country.
The Ministry furthermore reminds of the Government’s policy in this respect which is to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to all regions and all citizens of the country without any obstacles and with no exception. It is to be recalled that the Government had taken the lead, since the first weeks of the crisis, to organize an international conference on humanitarian assistance to Sudan. The said conference was held in Geneva in June 2023 with wide international participation. Equally, on the instance of the Government of Sudan, a high-level international meeting took place in New York, October 2023, to follow up on the implementation of the pledges made at the Humanitarian Assistance Conference, Geneva, June 2023.
Conversely , the terrorist RSF militia did not only disavow its obligations in keeping with the Jeddah process, but further took advantage of the humanitarian truces to occupy more humanitarian and essential service facilities, such as hospitals, food warehouses, water and electricity stations, farms, and food factories, turning them into military barracks. This is in addition to attacking humanitarian aid convoys and looting the warehouses of the World Food Program (WFP) in Al-Gazira state in December 2023. In that attack, the Militia stole food supplies enough to feed about a million and a half persons of the needy population, for a month, according to the WFP’s estimates The Militia moreover continues to impede the aid convoys to several areas and needy communities in the country. In addition, It disrupts the harvest and cultivation of food crops in Al-Gezira State, one of the largest agricultural production areas in Sudan, following its invasion of several villages rural areas and small towns in the state, terrorizing civilians, especially farmers, and looting agricultural machinery and means of transportation. The Militia's recent disruption of communications networks in the country has also hampered humanitarian operations. In the light of the above, it is high time the Militia was compelled to implement the Jeddah Declaration and its subsequent commitments , namely to vacate all humanitarian, service and civil facilities and citizens’ homes, and to keep its hands off humanitarian activities.