UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States has approved an exemption for humanitarian aid to Sudan from President Donald Trump’s order freezing foreign assistance, U.S. Deputy Ambassador Dorothy Shea told the U.N. Security Council on Thursday.
Shea said Secretary of State Marco Rubio is reviewing all U.S. foreign assistance programs to ensure alignment with U.S. foreign policy, as required by Trump’s executive order.
“However, an exemption has been approved for life-saving humanitarian assistance to Sudan, including emergency food, medicine, shelter and livelihood support,” Shea said.
The U.S. was previously Sudan’s largest single donor of humanitarian aid. In 2023, it contributed $800 million, about 46% of funds allocated to the U.N. response plan. Since the start of fiscal year 2023, U.S. humanitarian assistance for Sudan has exceeded $2.3 billion.
On Dec. 19, 2024, then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced about $200 million in additional humanitarian aid for Sudan, which faces the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
Shea said the U.S. continues to support efforts by the U.N. secretary-general’s personal envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, to use his good offices with parties to seek a sustainable resolution to the conflict through dialogue.
On Jan. 20, Trump issued an executive order freezing foreign aid funding and ordered a review of all U.S. foreign aid and development work. On March 10, Rubio announced the administration had completed a six-week review of USAID programs, cutting 83% of them.
U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan Clementine Nkweta-Salami warned Wednesday that funding cuts from major donors would be catastrophic for relief efforts in Sudan that have relied on them for decades.
Source: SudanTribune -Agencis
