Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced a new aid package totaling $230 million for Sudan, a country deeply affected by conflict, during what is anticipated to be his final visit to the United Nations in his current role.
As the U.N. Security Council grapples with unprecedented divisions, Blinken is scheduled to lead two important meetings on Thursday, marking the end of his four-year term characterized by the resurgence of warfare in Europe and various crises in the Middle East.
In addition to discussing the situation in Sudan, Blinken will also oversee a session dedicated to artificial intelligence.
The aid package comprises $200 million allocated for humanitarian assistance and $30 million intended to facilitate Sudan’s return to democratic governance, with this latest commitment, total U.S. aid has exceeded $2.3 billion since the conflict began.
Sudan, primarily an Arab nation situated on the edges of sub-Saharan Africa, descended into civil war in 2023 due to clashes between the military and the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group that originated from the notorious Janjaweed militia in Darfur.
Long-standing rivalries among military and paramilitary leaders have fueled violence in the capital, Khartoum, and extended to Darfur and other regions. Aid organizations have noted that Sudan has not received adequate global attention.
While exact numbers are difficult to determine, estimates suggest that at least 24,000 lives have been lost and millions displaced in a conflict that has largely been eclipsed by ongoing wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.
