Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on Sudan

Ambassador Dorothy Shea
Acting U.S. Representative
New York, New York
June 27, 2025

AS DELIVERED

Thank you, Madam President. I would like to acknowledge Assistant Secretary-General Martha Pobee and Ms. Shayna Lewis, and thank you for your briefings, which as others have noted were quite sobering.

And thank you, Ambassador Joonkook Hwang, for your stewardship of the 1591 Committee and for your briefing on its recent activities.

As the briefers have shared, this conflict continues to be the world’s largest humanitarian crisis – a crisis completely man-made.

Sadly, the Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces, and other armed actors are using the denial of humanitarian assistance as a tactic of war by manipulating humanitarian operations to achieve military and intelligence objectives.

Parties to the conflict continue to impede humanitarian access, causing famine, immense loss of life, and wasted resources.

All parties – including the SAF and the RSF – need to ensure humanitarian access.

And in this regard, we were pleased to hear from ASG Pobee that the UN is pursuing a humanitarian pause.

President, the United States proposes the following three actions for the parties to implement their obligations:

One, they must remove bureaucratic impediments that delay the dispatch of supplies and personnel.

Going forward, all parties should respond within 72 hours from the notification of humanitarian implementors of intended use, contents, and destination of humanitarian assistance; otherwise, aid should be allowed to move forward.

Two, the parties must open all border crossings into Sudan for humanitarian purposes, including those from South Sudan into Darfur.

Three, visas and presence permits must be issued for humanitarian workers throughout Sudan within one week of application.

If Sudan is unwilling to issue visas and permits, the UN and other international organizations should seek to base their response to the conflict elsewhere in the region.

The United States will hold groups accountable for blocking the delivery of aid.

We will consider the readiness of parties to facilitate humanitarian access and enable humanitarian delivery when making decisions about funding, programming, and partnerships on broader initiatives.

With regard to the 1591 Committee, we urge the Council to reconstitute the Panel of Experts expeditiously so they can continue their vital investigations and reporting, as mandated.

Protracted holds and blocks on Panel appointments will only keep the Council in the dark about the grievous atrocities being committed in Sudan.

The Committee must show concrete action and apply targeted sanctions to anyone responsible for atrocities.

We welcome the Panel’s identification of additional targets for the Committee’s consideration.

Finally, the United States praises the work of the Emergency Response Rooms in the last-mile delivery of humanitarian assistance and as first responders to protect civilians.

Their heroic efforts are critical to the survival of innumerable Sudanese.

I thank you.

Source: MyPR International