Germany said on Thursday that it would contribute €150 million ($168 million) in aid to the sub-Saharan nation of Sudan.
The decision comes as part of a one-day donor teleconference hosted by Berlin and attended by several western governments, the UN Secretary-General, international financial institutions and wealthy Gulf oil producers.
Sudan’s economy is currently at risk of freefall. The country is battling inflation that exceeds 100% and is plagued by shortages of bread, fuel and medicine. Just a year ago, the government of veteran autocrat Omar al-Bashir was overthrown by a popular uprising.
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Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok is now at the helm of the country under a precarious, transitional power-sharing deal with the military.
“The people of Sudan have shown extraordinary courage determination in their quest for change peace,” UN chief Antonio Guterres said in a tweet.
“But unless the international community mobilizes support quickly, Sudan’s democratic transition could be short-lived, with profound consequences in the country beyond,” he added, underscoring the financial help the new government needs to stay afloat.
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Why millions of kids face a bleak future
Children in 37 countries left behind
UNICEF’s analysis focused on children’s chances of escaping extreme poverty, getting a basic education and avoiding a violent death. It showed that 37 countries have seen a clear decline in at least one of those areas in the past two decades. The main causes? Unrest, conflicts, financial crises and poor governance.
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Why millions of kids face a bleak future
Not in my parents’ footsteps
There have been major efforts to improve child welfare around the world over the past two decades. But despite progress, millions of children still face massive challenges caused by factors outside of their control. According to a 2017 UNICEF report, one in 12 of the world’s 2.2 billion children has far bleaker prospects today than the previous generation did 20 years ago.
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Why millions of kids face a bleak future
Consequences of conflict
According to UNICEF, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen — all countries experiencing major conflict — have seen a decline across more than one of the three areas measured. The most dramatic change, however, was recorded in the world’s newest nation, South Sudan.
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Why millions of kids face a bleak future
South Sudan
South Sudan was the only country where children fared worse in all three categories than previous generations. After gaining independence in 2011, the country has been plagued by civil war and famine. Four-year-old Adeng Macher, pictured above, is one of an estimated 2 million people who are near starvation.
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Why millions of kids face a bleak future
Growing up with war
Violent deaths among children below the age of 19 have increased in seven countries: Central African Republic, Iraq, Libya, South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen. Above, armed Yemeni children ride in the back of a truck with soldiers loyal to President Hadi. The UN says hundreds of children have been killed in the country since 2015, while more than 1,000 have been recruited as child soldiers.
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Why millions of kids face a bleak future
Surviving on under $1.90 a day
The share of people living on less than $1.90 (85 euro cents) a day has increased in 14 countries, including Benin, Cameroon, Madagascar, Zambia and Zimbabwe. According to the UN, around 19 percent of the world’s children live in extreme poverty.
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Why millions of kids face a bleak future
A chance in the classroom
The number of children getting a primary school education has dropped in 21 countries, including Syria, Bolivia, Jordan and Tanzania. The problem is most acute in West and Central Africa. Above, students take part in an English class in Bentiu, South Sudan, in 2011. Violence in the country has forced a quarter of schools to shut down, preventing an estimated 2 million kids from attending class.
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Why millions of kids face a bleak future
World Children’s Day
UNICEF’s report was released on World Children’s Day, which celebrates the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on November 20, 1989.
‘Enormous efforts’
German Federal Development Minister Gerd Müller praised the “enormous efforts” of the civilian transitional government “for peace, democracy and reforms.”
This positive development had encouraged Germany to resume a development cooperation with Sudan, Müller added.
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Germany intends to spend €118 million to support Sudan in areas such as water, food security and education, while a further €32 million will be allocated to humanitarian aid and stabilization.
“The most important thing now is to strengthen the economy, especially agriculture, and to support the poorest people in the country,” Müller said.
“For the country has potential: it could become Africa’s breadbasket,” he added, noting that Sudan’s agricultural land mass is as large as that of France.
The German Government expects the Sudanese transitional government to continue on a path of reform. Müller urged the government to ensure religious freedom and to work to grant full equality for women.
More than €1.3 billion raised
Germany’s contribution was part of a total of €1.325 billion pledged by Western and Arab countries. The EU said it will contribute €312 million, the United States €318 million, and France €100 million for various projects, among them cash transfers to families living in poverty, with the help of the World Bank, officials said at the online event.
The United Kingdom pledged €166 million and the United Arab Emirates €268 million.
jcg/jsi (AFP, dpa)
Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-pledges-%E2%82%AC150-million-in-aid-for-sudan/a-53940760?maca=en-rss-en-ger-1023-xml-atom
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