The governments of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, along with the African Union and United Nations, have issued a joint statement expressing concern about the worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan. The coalition, known as ALPS, noted that conditions are deteriorating rapidly with increasing levels of malnutrition and famine among civilians.
The statement highlights ongoing obstacles that hinder aid delivery to critical areas. It calls attention to civilians bearing the brunt of the conflict and urges all parties involved in the fighting to take immediate steps to protect non-combatants and ensure access for humanitarian organizations. These actions are requested in line with obligations under international humanitarian law and commitments made in the Jeddah Declaration signed in May 2023.
According to the joint statement: "The ALPS coalition is appalled by the continuous deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Sudan, including 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."
It continues: "Civilians continue to pay the highest price for this war. 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, in accordance 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."
The ALPS group has outlined several specific demands for both sides of the conflict:
- Remove bureaucratic barriers that prevent or slow down aid efforts.
- Keep essential supply routes open for aid convoys and personnel through measures such as temporary ceasefires. This includes extending use of crossings like Adre and establishing reliable routes into Darfur and Kordofan regions as well as additional entry points from South Sudan.
- Allow aid workers safe passage throughout Sudan without risk if they operate in territories controlled by different factions.
- Ensure civilians can reach assistance safely.
- Permit a sustained UN presence across Sudan—especially where needs are most acute.
- Restore telecommunications services nationwide.
- Protect infrastructure crucial for energy, water supply, and health care.
"In some areas – 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," states another section.
Finally, it reiterates: "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."
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