At the Annual General Meeting of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), the peak body for humanitarian agencies, ACFID’s Council unanimously passed a resolution calling on the Australian Government to take greater action on the Sudan crisis.  

After over a year of brutal conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), half of Sudan’s population require humanitarian assistance (25.6 million), and the United Nations Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has sounded the alarm on widening famine.  

The resolution calls on the Australian Government to:  

1. Increase diplomatic engagement to secure a ceasefire and a durable political settlement. 
2. Provide immediate new and additional funding to the humanitarian response, including funding to address and prevent sexual and gender-based violence as a core protection issue.  
3. Promote humanitarian access through diplomatic pressure to secure the delivery of humanitarian goods and services necessary to alleviate the suffering of Sudanese civilians, especially women and girls.

“ACFID members are operating in Sudan and throughout the region. While we have welcomed the Australian Government’s assistance for the crisis in the initial phases, far more needs to be done,” said Humanitarian Lead, Naomi Brooks.            

“The situation in Sudan is deeply horrific, continues to deteriorate and has resulted in 10.9 million people displaced. This is the largest displacement crisis globally. 

“This includes around 25,000 people, the vast majority women and children who crossed into eastern Chad in the first week of October, a record number for a single week in 2024,” said Ms. Brooks.  

ACFID continues to call on warring parties to the conflict to cease hostilities, protect civilians and ensure unimpeded humanitarian access. 

For more information or to arrange an interview please contact ACFID Media at 0401 721 064 or at [email protected]  

Background: 

ACFID is made up of Australian not-for-profit organisations dedicated to international aid and development, collectively referred to as the ACFID Council.  

The Council convenes an Annual General Meeting (AGM) at least once each financial year, where representatives from member organisations come together to steer the council’s strategic direction and uphold high ethical standards in the sector. During the AGM, members engage in voting on commitments related to resolutions, ensuring collective commitment to shared goals. 

A resolution within this context represents a deliberate policy position aimed at driving meaningful change across the humanitarian and development sectors.  ACFID’s goal is to ensure that these resolutions translate into actionable initiatives that have a real impact.