Sudan Crisis: Donors Pledge $1.5B in Aid

Facts

• On Monday, international donors pledged nearly $1.5B in aid for Sudan and the surrounding region, about half of the estimated amount required to alleviate a deepening humanitarian crisis that began in mid-April.¹
• Though it wasn't announced how the funds would be disbursed, UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said the $1.5B included €200M ($218M) from Germany, $171M from the US, €190M ($207M) from the EU and $50M from Qatar.²
• As "the scale and speed of Sudan's descent into death and destruction is unprecedented," UN Secretary-General António Guterres said some $3B was needed, without which the country "could quickly become a locus of lawlessness."³
• The fundraising conference took place during a 72-hour ceasefire between Sudan's military and the country's main paramilitary force. It's the ninth truce since the fighting started two months ago.⁴
• Abdel Fattah al-Burhan's Sudanese Armed Forces [SAF] and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, are embroiled in a vicious power struggle that has plunged the nation into a dire humanitarian crisis.⁴
• According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, the fighting has killed nearly 2K people and displaced 2.2M.⁵

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²US News & World Report, ³UN News, ⁴Al Jazeera, and ⁵DW.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by New York Times. Since the eruption of violence in Sudan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has worked hard to stamp out violence, bring a peaceful solution, and provide safe passage for humanitarian aid. The US is doing its part in enabling diplomatic resolution and committing itself to supporting refugees until a ceasefire or permanent agreement is reached.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by AL. Though the West has joined hands to raise funds for humanitarian aid, it's undeniable that Washington has significant responsibility for the fighting in Sudan. The US failed to rein in the country's top generals when mounting tensions between forces led by al-Burhan and Dagalo indicated that a prolonged conflict was likely to erupt. Facilitating the funds is the least US leaders can do for the region, given this negligence.
• Cynical narrative, as provided by NPR Online News. Each warring side in Sudan is still battling for supremacy, which indicates they're in no way serious about ceasefires or peace talks. If the two continue to see each other as an existential threat, finding the middle ground necessary to stop the fighting will be impossible. Even if you raise $100B, preventing the East African nation from being destroyed will be difficult.

Predictions