Ottawa to provide $132 million to help people fleeing civil war in Sudan

Ottawa to provide $132 million to help people fleeing civil war in Sudan

OTTAWA — International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen is announcing $132 million in aid for people fleeing Sudan’s yearlong civil war.

The funding includes $100 million in humanitarian aid for Sudanese who have fled to neighbouring countries as well as those stuck in Sudan amid widescale violence.

That aid includes housing, shelter and sanitation services for the more than 8.5 million people displaced since duelling factions of Sudan’s military wings started fighting in the streets of Khartoum.

Hussen says the rest of the funding will go toward development projects, with a focus on sexual and reproductive health for women in Sudan and South Sudan, and other projects in the Central African Republic, Chad and Ethiopia.

The Liberals insist they are deeply concerned about the crisis in Sudan, but have faced mounting criticism for not following peers in issuing sanctions on those supporting warlords.

Today’s announcement comes ahead of a conference in Paris on Monday — the one-year anniversary of the conflict — aimed at getting the world closer to meeting the humanitarian needs created by the Sudan crisis.

The United Nations says Sudan needs US$2.7 billion to deal with humanitarian needs but has received just 6 per cent of that target.

Hussen’s office says Canada plans to participate in the conference in Paris, but has not said who will attend the event, which occurs on the eve of the federal budget.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2024.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press