The Federal Foreign Office is providing 2.5 million euro for emergency aid in the Sudan. These funds enable German and international relief organizations to supply aid to those in need.

The targets of funding include

• basic aid supplies for local populations and those returning to their homes in Southern Sudan
• emergency medical care for the population in inaccessible regions of Darfur
• the United Nations logistics programme to ensure access for humanitarian aid to all relevant parts of the country
• the Sudan operation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Although the referendum was almost entirely peaceful, the humanitarian situation in the Sudan remains tense. UN figures suggest that there are still nearly four million internally displaced persons. Altogether, 20 percent of the population are dependent on humanitarian aid.

Before and during the referendum, around 180,000 Southern Sudanese returned from the north. The local authorities do not have the capacity to provide enough emergency accommodation, food and basic health care. In parts of Darfur, the supply of aid also remains problematic, particularly in areas which are difficult to reach for security reasons.

Over the past two years, the German Government has made more than 30 million euro available for humanitarian assistance in the Sudan.