Sudan Events – Rehab Abdullah
The Ministry of Finance disclosed the extent of spending on humanitarian aid for citizens affected by the war. According to the ministry, the spending included customs exemptions, direct cash payments, in-kind support, and allocations for aid from foreign financing sources.
The total customs exemptions provided by the ministry for humanitarian aid since the outbreak of war on April 15 of last year until August of this year amounted to no less than $300 million. This includes fees from the Sea Ports Authority, customs, standards and specifications, health quarantine, agricultural quarantine, and fees from the National Council for Medicines and Poisons.
In the same period, the total direct cash disbursements for humanitarian aid reached 34.628 billion Sudanese pounds. This was allocated to cover the costs of aid, ensuring it reached war-affected citizens across all states. It included transportation costs from Port Sudan to various shelter centers, securing humanitarian aid routes, and supporting states in providing essential services for displaced people. Additionally, the funds were used to meet logistical requirements for the Federal Ministry of Health across five states and cover the costs of unloading, storing, and milling 27,000 tons of wheat provided by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center for citizens in shelters.
The ministry also purchased humanitarian aid for Sudanese refugees in neighboring countries and coordinated with the Humanitarian Aid Commission to provide assistance in Chad and Ethiopia. Last year, 1.3 billion Sudanese pounds were spent on aid for Sudanese refugees in Chad.
Moreover, the ministry provided in-kind support to citizens in the form of food grains, spending 470 billion Sudanese pounds to purchase wheat and sorghum for displaced people in some states. An additional 75 billion pounds were allocated to secure sorghum from the strategic reserve.
Reports from international financial aid channels indicated that the Ministry of Finance allocated $230 million from available funds through the World Bank, as well as $176 million from the African Development Bank, for humanitarian assistance to alleviate the war’s impact on citizens’ livelihoods.
Despite the limited resources and low revenues, compounded by increased expenditures to maintain operations and support the war effort, the Ministry of Finance, according to documented reports, continues to fulfill its duty to sustain citizens’ livelihoods and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to the intended recipients in shelter centers across the states. The ministry also strives to extend this aid to Sudanese refugees in neighboring countries.
It should be noted that the Ministry of Finance is not involved in the receipt or distribution of humanitarian aid materials. Its role is limited to spending and financing aid from the time it arrives at the port until it reaches those in need.
