Washington Warns Sudan Conflict Parties Against Impeding Relief Efforts
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The United States delegate to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, expressed deep disappointment on Wednesday regarding the detailed allegations in the recent report prepared by the UN expert team on Sudan, which "did not receive the necessary attention, either within the Security Council or even outside the United Nations."
Greenfield stated in a statement that "the war in Sudan has displaced eight million people, led to famine and the spread of diseases, and the Sudanese people feel abandoned, a feeling that cannot be allowed to turn into a reality."
The American ambassador warned the conflicting parties in Sudan against impeding relief efforts and access to aid, saying: "Given the humanitarian disaster in Sudan and the region, it is unacceptable for the Sudanese armed forces to decide to ban aid across the Chadian border and undermine the arrival of aid across internal lines from the east. These steps threaten the vital lifeline for those in need of life-saving humanitarian aid. At the same time, the Rapid Support Forces are looting humanitarian warehouses, and both sides must allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need throughout Sudan."
In the same statement, Greenfield urged the Security Council to give more attention to this issue as a matter related to international security and peace. She emphasized that time is running out, and the Security Council must act urgently to alleviate humanitarian suffering, hold perpetrators accountable, and put an end to the conflict in Sudan.
It is worth mentioning that the United States appointed a special envoy for Sudan on Monday in a new effort to convince the warring parties to lay down their arms after ten months of fighting and bloodshed.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that Tom Perriello, a former member of Congress who previously served as a special envoy for the Great Lakes region in Africa, "will coordinate US policy on Sudan and enhance our efforts to end the fighting, secure unimpeded access to humanitarian aid, and support the Sudanese people in their quest for freedom, peace, and justice."
