Sudan’s humanitarian and development needs will reach a whopping $1,8-billion in 2007, by far the largest share of the global funds demanded by United Nations chief Kofi Annan, the UN said Tuesday.
“Sudan will require more than $1,8-billion to fund humanitarian, recovery and development projects in 2007,” said a UN press release.
A “UN work plan for Sudan”, conceived jointly by the world body, NGOs and Sudanese government institutions, was unveiled on Tuesday in Khartoum.
“The vast majority of the funds — $1,26-billion — will go to fund humanitarian activities for large numbers of the population still in considerable need, with nearly half the amount dedicated to Darfur,” the statement said.
“Sudan’s humanitarian operation represents the largest slice of $3,7-billion appealed for by the UN secretary general for humanitarian assistance worldwide in 2007,” it added.
The UN runs the world’s largest relief operation out of Sudan.
Africa’s largest country is torn by several simmering civil conflicts and the humanitarian crisis in the western region of Darfur — where fighting has raged for four years — is considered the worst in the world.
Huge development funds are also needed to bolster the fragile peace agreement that ended more than two decades of north-south civil war in January 2005. — AFP