U.S. Senator and Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Ben Cardin, has called on United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to take immediate and decisive action to address the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Sudan.
In a strongly worded letter sent on August 21, Senator Cardin urged the UN to bolster its efforts in response to the famine and widespread suffering caused by the ongoing conflict in the region.
“The devastating famine in Sudan was both predictable and preventable. At a moment of unimaginable suffering, the international community cannot stand by,” Senator Cardin wrote, emphasizing the urgent need for an enhanced international response. He called on the UN to lead efforts in delivering life-saving aid and to take bold, innovative steps to prevent further loss of life.
The conflict in Sudan has led to severe food insecurity, with the Famine Early Warning System (FEWS NET) and the Famine Review Committee recently declaring a famine in the Zamzam camp in North Darfur, home to over 400,000 internally displaced people. The risk of famine extends to other regions, including El Fasher and parts of Darfur and South Kordofan, where humanitarian access remains severely restricted.
Senator Cardin criticized the limited UN presence in Sudan, which he argued has “impeded cross-border delivery, paralyzed the humanitarian response, and exacerbated food insecurity.”
He highlighted the inability of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to replicate the scale and reach of the UN, noting that the lack of UN support places humanitarian missions in legal and actual peril.
In his letter, Senator Cardin urged Secretary-General Guterres to take specific actions, including calling for the UN Security Council to urgently facilitate the provision of life-saving aid and consider options for the protection of civilians.
Cardin also recommended convening a high-level meeting on Sudan at the upcoming UN General Assembly to galvanize global action and elevate the need for humanitarian access.
“Without bold, decisive action by the United Nations to ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance, it will be impossible to prevent millions of Sudanese from starving. The community of nations must act,” Senator Cardin stated.
The letter also calls for the reopening of airspace to facilitate humanitarian air bridges and for the UN to work with international and local NGOs to explore every possible pathway to ensure swift and large-scale delivery of aid.
“As UN Secretary-General, you are uniquely positioned to spur the international community to greater action and to take important strides towards ending this crisis,” Senator Cardin concluded, pledging his support for collective efforts to address the humanitarian emergency in Sudan.
