Sudan: Humanitarian Situation

Debate between Chris Elmore and Kim Johnson

Monday 15th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Chris Elmore]

I thank the shadow Foreign Secretary for her opening remarks and questions. She is right to say that there should be no politics in this. We all want to see an end to the unimaginable suffering that is taking place in Sudan, and as was mentioned by the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East (Seamus Logan), the idea that we can see that from satellite imagery shows its unimaginable scale.

On sanctions, we will not rule anything out and we will keep the issue under constant review following the announcement on Friday—that was the second round of sanctions that the Government have issued in relation to Sudan. We are continuing to work with all members of the Quad, and we want to be as clear as we can be that all sides must come together in ensuring what will hopefully be a humanitarian pause, and more broadly a wider ceasefire.

On the specific points about support for refugees and people on the ground in Sudan, the funding so far has supported over 1 million people, including 98,000 children, in tackling severe malnutrition; in food assistance for 744,000 people; in vital protection for services for 350,000 people in relation to victims of international humanitarian law violations; and indeed in cash assistance. I am confident that the money is reaching the people it needs to reach. On more support, the additional £20 million—or the £146 million—is about aid directly on the ground and supporting 800,000 people. Some of that is supporting refugees in Chad and other countries that people are moving to, but fundamentally it is about support.

We are absolutely working on the wider points about work in the multilateral space with the United Nations. This is a personal priority for the Foreign Secretary, and she is in pretty much constant dialogue with Secretary Rubio, including last week. Baroness Chapman, the Minister for Africa in the other place, is in regular dialogue with African near neighbours, and she is having broader conversations to ensure that we find a humanitarian ceasefire and the broader ceasefire that is so desperately needed.

[Kim Johnson (Liverpool Riverside) (Lab)]

The Minister has just mentioned doing all we can to exert pressure, but with all due respect to him, I think we need to be doing far more than exerting pressure. As UN penholder for Sudan, the UK has a moral responsibility to ensure that the ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing is brought to an end as soon as possible. Most importantly, we must end all arms trade with the UAE, because it is evident that UK arms are ending up in Sudan.

[Chris Elmore]

On arms exports, the UK has one of the most robust and transparent export control regimes in the world. All export licences are assessed for the risk of diversion, and we regularly prevent exports that might be diverted to an undesirable end user or end use. As I have said, in recent reviews that has not been deemed the case from any other nation. On our role on the Human Rights Council and the Security Council, I agree with my hon. Friend: we do have a moral imperative, and that is exactly our approach. This is a personal mission for the Foreign Secretary. She convened the emergency meeting of the Human Rights Council, and the meeting of the Security Council was brought forward. The UK, as penholder, has been at the very forefront of trying to end these most appalling atrocities against the Sudanese people.