PRESS RELEASE
DanChurchAid has supported Sudan for many years, particularly by assisting Sudanese refugees along the borders with South Sudan and Ethiopia. With the recent opening of a new office in the coastal city of Port Sudan, the country now officially becomes DanChurchAid’s 20th programme country.
This expansion marks a step in scaling up operations within Sudan itself, as the humanitarian needs continue to grow. DanChurchAid’s Secretary-General Jonas Nøddekær emphasises the scale of the challenge:
“Sudan is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis and the scope of the humanitarian crisis has only grown since the civil war broke out in 2023. There is a desperate need for food, medicine, and basic infrastructure. Hopefully, we can now reach even more civilians who are victims of this terrible war.”
More than 30 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, says Jonas Nøddekær and adds that the situation is worse than anything he has seen in his career spanning almost three decades.
The number of people in acute need of aid is, without comparison, the highest I have seen in my 25 years with DanChurchAid.Jones Nøddekær, Secretary-General DanChurchAid
Although it is difficult to operate in Sudan, where respect for international law is minimal, DanChurchAid’s work is more important than ever:
“Right now, thousands of lives depend on whether aid gets through or not. And at DanChurchAid, we will continue to do everything we can to alleviate the consequences of this horrific war – such as famine and displacement.”
DanChurchAid’s Country Director in Sudan, Antony Grange, says the organisation is well-positioned to scale up its activities in the country, with a special focus on cooperation with local volunteers:
“DanChurchAid has a strong partnership with local volunteers who are absolutely crucial for getting aid delivered. Together with these volunteers, we distribute food and water and ensure that the many thousands of internally displaced people receive tents to sleep in so they don’t have to lie under the open sky.”
At the same time, Jonas Nøddekær stresses that the situation in several areas- especially in and around El-Fasher in the Darfur region – will not improve until the international community takes decisive action:
“The situation in El-Fasher, Sudan, is heartbreaking – and I fear we are facing a scenario where the scale of the humanitarian consequences will rival some of the worst atrocities against civilians in history.
For over 500 days, the city has been under siege, with no food or medicine able to enter. Civilians are being killed.
The international community must do everything in its power to stop the killing of civilians and ensure free access for humanitarian aid before even more lives are lost.”