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Unidentified witness tells House Foreign Affairs Republicans U.S. has sanctioned more than 40 in Sudan crisis, provided $405 million in aid
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Summary
An unnamed witness told Republican members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs that the Sudan conflict has produced "the world's worst humanitarian crisis," that the U.S. has sanctioned more than 40 individuals and entities, and that the administration has provided roughly $405 million in humanitarian assistance while pushing for a humanitarian truce.
An unidentified witness told Republican members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Thursday that the fighting in Sudan, which began in April 2023, has become "the world's worst humanitarian crisis" and that U.S. policy has focused on sanctions, humanitarian assistance and diplomatic efforts to secure a truce.
"The horrific conflict in Sudan, which, of course, is well documented," the witness said, arguing that manipulation and obstruction of emergency aid by parties to the conflict has aggravated civilian suffering. The witness said both the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have committed atrocities and that U.S. authorities announced in 2024 that the government of Sudan used chemical weapons.
The witness described recent attacks by the RSF around El Fashar in North Darfur, saying thousands fled and survivors who reached humanitarian hubs reported "summary executions" and other extreme violence. The witness said tens of thousands of civilians remained missing or had not reached safety.
On accountability, the witness said the administration has sanctioned "over 40 individuals and entities" since the war began to punish actors who have fueled the conflict. The witness cited a set of September sanctions aimed at SAF-aligned Islamist actors and said that two days before the hearing the United States sanctioned Colombian entities and individuals it said directly supported RSF attacks.
The witness said the administration has provided more than $405,000,000 in aid to people in need in Sudan, including food assistance, nutrition, health services, sanitation and shelter. Paraphrasing the witness, that assistance is intended to be life-saving relief for civilians caught in the fighting.
The witness said, under the direction of President Trump, the administration's diplomatic push has involved Secretary Rubio and a senior adviser leading negotiations with the belligerents and regional partners — Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — and that the United States has put forward text for a humanitarian truce and urged the parties to accept it without preconditions. The witness stressed that all parties must "honor their humanitarian commitments, including refraining from attacking civilians and allowing full, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access throughout the country."
The witness warned that an unstable Sudan threatens regional stability along the Red Sea corridor and can create permissive environments for terrorists, adversaries such as Iran, and criminal organizations. The statement closed with the witness describing personal experience in the region, including work in the early 2000s in Chad during the height of the Darfur genocide and later roles supporting delegations and working in Sudan and in the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.
The witness urged Congress to work with the administration to end the conflict and help restore civilian-led governance in Sudan.
