Written question asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench) on Tuesday, 14 May 2024, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 29 May 2024. It was answered by Lord Benyon (Conservative) on Thursday, 23 May 2024 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Sudan: Humanitarian Aid

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of recent efforts to secure guarantees from Sudan’s warring parties to ensure critical humanitarian supply routes are (1) open and (2) free from bureaucratic impediments or taxation.

Answer: The UK continues to press the warring parties to facilitate unhindered, crossline and cross-border humanitarian access. On 27 February, the UK called for the UN Security Council to convene for a closed consultation in response to the Sudanese Armed Forces' (SAF) decision to withdraw permission for the movement of humanitarian personnel and supplies into Sudan from Chad via the Adré crossing. On 20 March, we made a UK intervention at the Security Council highlighting the OCHA White Note's clear warning that obstruction of humanitarian access by the SAF and Rapid Support Forces is resulting in people in Sudan starving. On 8 March, the UK led the Security Council to adopt a resolution calling for a ceasefire for Ramadan and for urgent humanitarian access.

Secondary information