International coalition urges Sudanese warring parties to take action to improve humanitarian situation
Port Sudan, Sudan (PANA) - An international coalition that groups five governments beside the United Nations and the African Union on Wednesday issued a joint statement urging the warring parties in the Sudan to allow humanitarian aid passage and respect human rights.
The ALPS (Aligned for Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan), which brings together the Governments of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, and the African Union and United Nations, on Wednesday said it was "appalled by the continuous deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Sudan".
It referred particularly to the growing number of people in situations of severe malnutrition and famine, and by the wide range of access impediments that are delaying or blocking the response in key areas.
ALPS lamented that Sudanese civilians continued to pay the highest price for this war.
It added in a joint statement published by the US Department of the State, that with the situation in Sudan worsening and humanitarian needs reaching critical levels, urgent action is needed by the conflict parties to protect civilians and allow and facilitate humanitarian access to those in need. This is in line with their obligations under international humanitarian law, and their commitments under the Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan, signed in May 2023.
In this regard, the ALPS coalition is calling on the warring parties to lift all bureaucratic impediments impinging on and preventing humanitarian activities and commit to maintain key supply routes open for humanitarian convoys and personnel, including through humanitarian pauses and other arrangements as needed.
It explained that this should include the longer-term extension of the Adre crossing, and agreements on the predictable and sustained use of key crossline routes into Darfur and the Kordofan regions as well as additional crossings from South Sudan.
It stressed that the two warring parties should guarantee that humanitarian actors can safely provide assistance in all of Sudan to all civilians in need, and without fear of retaliation if they provide aid in areas controlled by other parties
The seven members of the grouping have also demanded that the two parties must ensure safe passage for civilians to access assistance and services.
It said further added that the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) should allow and facilitate a sustained UN humanitarian presence, across the country, notably in areas of acute humanitarian needs, particularly in Darfur and the Kordofan regions.
It added that they should see to it that telecommunications access are restored in all areas of Sudan and should ensure the protection of critical civilian infrastructure, in particular energy, water and health infrastructure.
The joint statement stressed that in some areas of the country – particularly North Darfur and the Kordofan region – de-escalation measures are urgently needed for humanitarian actors to be able to bring aid.
“The ALPS group therefore calls on the conflict parties to adhere to their Jeddah Commitments, and to allow for humanitarian pauses to enable the movement of life-saving supplies into such areas, and ease barriers to civilian movement out of danger,” The joint statement underlined.
It further pointed out that the ALPS group “urgently reiterates that international humanitarian law must be fully respected”.
“This includes the obligations to protect civilians, including humanitarian personnel, their premises and assets, as well as to allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access to all those in need.”
The joint statement, however, failed to say what measures they would take if one or the two parties fail to carry out these specific demands.
-0- PANA MO/RA 20Aug2025
