The Working Group for Advancing Life-Saving and Peace in Sudan (ALPS) continued its weekly virtual sessions on 5 September, focusing on expanding humanitarian access in emergencies and respect for international humanitarian law.
Last week, an estimated 3,114 metric tons of supplies reached nearly 300,000 people in Darfur with support from the ALPS cluster, and through the courageous and tireless work of humanitarian actors on the ground.
ALPS delegation members continue to engage the SAF and RSF to address urgent efforts to expand land access from Port Sudan via Shendi to Khartoum, as well as roads from Khartoum to El Obeid and Kosti, including via Sennar. ALPS delegations call for the opening of additional border crossings, including the Aweil crossing with South Sudan.
Members of the group also continue to press the Sudanese Armed Forces to announce and meaningfully implement a simplified notification system, and urge the Rapid Support Forces to fully implement it, in order to simplify the burdensome bureaucratic barriers that cost Sudanese lives every day.
With more than 25 million people facing famine and severe hunger, there must be sufficient notice to allow humanitarian cargo to move through Sudan. Any delay will cost lives.
The ALPS Group acknowledges the RSF’s issuance of a new directive to all forces on the protection of civilians, supports its commitment to accountability, and will closely monitor implementation.
The ALPS group has identified several critical areas where the RSF and SAF must immediately de-escalate hostilities, including El Fasher. This will ensure the protection of civilians and access to urgent relief, in line with the commitments made by both parties in the Jeddah Declaration.
The delegation members call on members of the international community to pressure both sides to achieve this goal. The ALPS members affirm their joint commitment to work with other international partners to alleviate the suffering of the people of Sudan and ultimately achieve a cessation of hostilities agreement.
Members also affirm their commitment to continue consulting with Sudanese women as part of the ALPS platform.
#Joint #Statement #ALPS #Group #Progress #Addressing #Crisis #Sudan
