UK pledges GBP two mln in aid of Sudanese refugees in Libya

British Minister of State for International Development Anneliese Dodds announced new life-saving assistance to nearly 150,000 Sudanese refugees who are fleeing escalating violence in Darfur. "It's estimated that more than two million people have fled Sudan due to the violence which erupted following a coup in April last year, including more than 1,200 people entering Libya daily," a press release from the Foreign Office said on Friday. "This forms part of the Government's commitment to work with international partners to address the humanitarian crises which lead people to flee their homes, and to strengthen support for refugees in their home region," the statement noted. "This GBP two million (some USD 2.57 million) package will go towards the humanitarian response in the hard-to-reach Alkufra region, where the UN estimate up to 45,000 refugees are currently in desperate need of support. "Health provision in Alkufra is minimal and was struggling even before the humanitarian crisis. Under the strain of t housands of refugees, in need of medical assistance, the system is now on the verge of collapse. "Alongside international partners, this funding will help deliver much-needed emergency health, water, sanitation, hygiene, and child protection services to an estimated 150,000 individuals taking refuge in Eastern Libya, as well as the communities hosting them," it added. On her part, Dodds said, "The UK is committed to delivering life-saving aid to some of the world's most vulnerable people, including children, as they flee violence in war-torn Sudan." "Alongside our international partners, this support in Libya will deliver much-needed water and emergency health, sanitation and hygiene services to these displaced refugees," she added. Source: Kuwait News Agency