UK announces £120m aid package for Sudan - as Lammy warns 'much of the world continues to look away'

The UK will announce a £120m aid package for Sudan at a conference in London to mark the two-year anniversary of the conflict in the African country.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy will host senior representatives from the African Union and EU nations at the summit on Tuesday, which will be attended by major donors and multilateral institutions.

During the one-day conference, he will announce the new funding for the financial year 2025-26 to support more than 650,000 Sudanese people, who have been caught up in a bloody conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries since 2023.

Mr Lammy is expected to say: "Two years is far too long - the brutal war in Sudan has devastated the lives of millions - and yet much of the world continues to look away.

"We need to act now to stop the crisis from becoming an all-out catastrophe, ensuring aid gets to those who need it the most."

The foreign secretary said he visited Sudan's border earlier this year and "the warring parties have shown an appalling disregard for the civilian population".

"This conference will bring together the international community to agree a pathway to end the suffering," he added.

"Instability must not spread - it drives migration from Sudan and the wider region, and a safe and stable Sudan is vital for our national security. The UK will not let Sudan be forgotten."

The latest funding comes on top of a £113m aid package for the country announced by the UK government in November.

The war in Sudan has left more than 30 million people in need of aid, while more than 12 million people have been displaced as famine spreads across the country, the UK Foreign Office said.

Around 12 million women and girls are also at risk of gender-based violence, it added.

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The UK government is concerned about the impact that the conflict could have in driving people away from their homes and potentially towards making dangerous journeys to Europe and the UK.

Last month, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) reclaimed the Republican Palace - the country's seat of power and the official residence of its president - from the RSF.

Bankole Adeoye, the African Union commissioner for political affairs, peace and security, said: "Achieving peace in Sudan depends on valuing every voice and everyone playing a role in building a prosperous Sudan.

"The African Union is committed to assisting all the people of Sudan build a brighter democratic future by working to silence the guns."

(c) Sky News 2025: UK announces £120m aid package for Sudan - as Lammy warns 'much of the world continues