Speaking on the Continuing Genocide In Darfur at a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Sudan and South Sudan, on Wednesday March 26th 2025, Lord Alton of Liverpool said:
“In 2023, for the 20th anniversary of the Darfur genocide, I chaired an APPG inquiry into the past atrocities in Darfur and steps taken to ensure justice and accountability. As the APPG was collecting evidence, we received a significant amount of information about the ongoing atrocities and information suggesting that more is to come. Unfortunately, our warnings and predictions materialised before our eyes within weeks of the inquiry. In the report, we warned about yet another genocide – a warning that was repeated by several international organisations only a few months later.
The continuing conflict in Sudan has raised significant concerns regarding human rights violations and allegations of genocide. Notably, the United States recently determined that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have committed genocide in Sudan, leading to sanctions against RSF leaders.
This welcome roundtable aims to examine the criteria and processes the UK employs in determining and responding to acts of genocide, with a focus on the situation in Sudan.
Such an analysis and determination have not been conducted by the UK Government yet, and indeed, in 2023, the UK Government quietly removed the recognition of the Darfur genocide from two decades ago. I raised this with the Government again and again, but without any change.
The Government has a ‘long-standing policy’ of leaving the question of genocide to courts. In response to this flawed analysis, I introduced a Privat members Bill – the Genocide Determination Bill – to ensure that there is a Court to make a determination and to inform the Government in relation to its duties to move forward.
Today, we will discuss the issue of genocide determination, the issue in the context of the situation in Sudan, and what it means in practical terms.”
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Lord Collins of Highbury, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL5582):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the statement by Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, that the recent funding cuts by major state donors will be a “catastrophic blow” to humanitarian assistance in Sudan; and what action they are taking to address this. (HL5582)
Tabled on: 10 March 2025
Answer:
Lord Collins of Highbury:
The ongoing obfuscation of relief operations by Sudan’s warring parties is imperilling millions of people. More funding is required from across the international community. However, without a step change in access the already dire situation will drastically deteriorate. This year the UK will provide £226.5 million in life-saving aid towards the crisis. Since the start of the conflict more than 2.5 million people have received UK funded humanitarian aid. As I stated to Parliament on 3 March, and as the Prime Minister also said in his statement to Parliament, the UK are determined to support humanitarian aid in Sudan. The upcoming Foreign Secretary-led Sudan Conference in London we hope will re-energise efforts to coordinate international action on humanitarian access.
Date and time of answer: 24 Mar 2025 at 17:13.
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Lord Collins of Highbury, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL5762):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask His Majesty’s Government what proportion of the 2024–25 UK aid package for Sudan is allocated to Blue Nile State; and whether they will provide targeted humanitarian assistance to displaced communities in the state before the arrival of the 2025 rainy season. (HL5762)
Tabled on: 13 March 2025
Answer:
Lord Collins of Highbury:
The humanitarian crisis in Sudan is the most severe globally and it has generated significant levels of forced displacement within Sudan and across the region. The already dire humanitarian context will worsen with the onset of the coming rainy season. This financial year, the UK will provide £226.5 million in life-saving aid towards the crisis. Since the conflict started more than 2.5 million people have received UK funded humanitarian aid. The UK is supporting a range of humanitarian actors, including UN agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross, who are delivering aid throughout the country. In 2024, the UK was the third largest donor to the UN’s Sudan response plan which provided urgent support in Blue Nile State and other locations. We are unable to provide more detailed information about the extent of UK aid provided to communities in Blue Nile State. The UK is doing all it can to increase the scale and reach of life-saving aid to those in need in Sudan.
Date and time of answer: 20 Mar 2025 at 17:40.
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Baroness Chapman of Darlington, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL5291):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask His Majesty’s Government how they are supporting communities in Sudan though the UK Aid programme; what is the impact of this support and how many people are benefiting from it; and how will that be affected by cuts to UK development aid. (HL5291)
Tabled on: 26 February 2025
Answer:
Baroness Chapman of Darlington:
The Government will continue to play a key humanitarian role, including in Ukraine, in Gaza and in Sudan.
In response to the crisis in Sudan UK aid is making a difference and saving lives. Over 600,000 people in Sudan and a further 700,000 people in neighbouring countries who have fled the conflict are now receiving life-saving aid. Between October 2023 and October 2024, UK aid has benefitted nearly 2.5 million people in Sudan.
The impact on specific programmes will be informed by the ongoing Spending Review and departmental resource allocation processes. Plans will be set out in the usual way in due course.
Date and time of answer: 17 Mar 2025 at 12:25.
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Baroness Chapman of Darlington, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL5290):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask His Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the impact of the freeze on funding for the United States Agency for International Development and cuts to UK development aid on humanitarian problems globally; and what is their assessment of the risk of starvation as a result. (HL5290)
Tabled on: 26 February 2025
Answer:
Baroness Chapman of Darlington:
We are currently working to assess the implications of the US funding pause across development sectors, geographic regions and multilateral organisations. We are gathering information and working with other donor partners to share analysis of the pause.
The UK is reducing UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 0.5 percent of gross national income (GNI) to 0.3 percent in 2027 to support increased spending on defence to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) from April 2027. The Prime Minister has been clear that the UK faces a period of profound change, with conflicts overseas undermining security and prosperity at home The Government will continue to play a key humanitarian role, including in Ukraine, in Gaza and in Sudan.
Date and time of answer: 17 Mar 2025 at 12:24.
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