The European Union has announced a $124 million humanitarian and development aid package for Sudan.
The EU Commission said Monday the money would go toward urgent food, water, sanitation, health and education needs, as well as supporting people who have been forced from their homes and the communities that are hosting them.
Christos Stylianides, the EU's commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management, said during a visit to South Darfur that the aid is necessary to meet the needs of displaced Sudanese as well as refugees who came from neighboring South Sudan.
"The humanitarian aid I am announcing today will help bring life-saving relief to the most vulnerable populations," Stylianides said. "Full humanitarian access throughout the country is crucial so that humanitarian workers can deliver aid safely to those in need."
According to the United Nations, 4.8 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Sudan, with the majority located in the Darfur region.
The U.N. said this month that aid agencies were seeing improved access, particularly to places they had not been able to reach for several years, while thousands of displaced persons were able to return to home.
