Yvette Cooper has emphasized the global failure to recognize the critical nature of the humanitarian emergency in Sudan, where reports are surfacing of extensive killings, starvation, and the use of rape as a tool of warfare.
The Foreign Secretary strongly denounced the appalling events unfolding in the Darfur region following the takeover of el-Fasher by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). According to the Foreign Office, approximately 260,000 individuals, half of whom are children, are trapped in conditions resembling famine, isolated from aid and confronting lethal violence.
During a summit in Bahrain, Ms. Cooper, alongside foreign ministers from Germany and Jordan, advocated for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the long-standing civil conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese military since 2023.
In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, she expressed her concerns that world leaders must prioritize resolving the conflict in Sudan with the same determination seen in other crisis regions. Ms. Cooper highlighted the dire situation, stressing that around 8 million people are on the brink of famine, a number equivalent to the population of London, yet the urgency is lacking.
She underscored the atrocities resulting from RSF advances on el-Fasher, with 130,000 children trapped in the city amidst reports of executions and the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.
Yesterday, Ms. Cooper pledged £5 million in emergency aid from the UK, including provisions for food and medical supplies, with a specific allocation of £2 million to aid survivors of sexual violence.
The Foreign Secretary lamented the regression in efforts to protect women in conflict zones since the passing of a UN resolution 25 years ago. She emphasized the importance of renewing the focus on combatting violence against women and girls within conflicts and international cooperation.
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