INGOs and Prominent Figures Urge the UK PM to Take Action on Sudan
London – Sudanhorizon
The British newspaper ‘The Standard’ reports that actors Joanna Froggatt and Will Poulter, along with influential public figures—including footballer and UNHCR supporter Lucy Bronze, director Sir Steve McQueen, singer-songwriter Cat Burns, TV chef Delia Smith, boxer Ramla Ali, and musician Peter Gabriel—have called on British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to take urgent action in response to the rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan. This appeal came in an open letter delivered to 10 Downing Street the day before yesterday, on Sunday. The letter, signed by more than 50 prominent individuals from film, television, music, and sports, as well as charity leaders and Sudanese activists, urges the UK government to honor its funding commitments to Sudan following recent cuts to the foreign aid budget.
The intervention is led by the children’s charity ‘Plan International UK’ and is backed by relief organizations, including the CEOs of CAFOD, Save the Children UK, Action Against Hunger France, Christian Aid, and senior Sudanese activists.
The newspaper notes that this comes six weeks after the UK hosted crisis talks on Sudan, during which the country witnessed escalating conflict and deteriorating humanitarian conditions.
The letter is accompanied by a public petition signed by more than 8,500 members of the British public and includes a link encouraging people to contact their MPs as an additional pressure tactic on the UK government. It also urges ministers to increase aid and leverage the UK’s diplomatic influence to pressure warring parties in Sudan to end the conflict.
The open letter states:
“Time is running out. Violence, hunger, and disease are killing more children every day. The UK government must do everything it can to help save lives before it’s too late.”
Statements from Key Signatories:
The newspaper quotes actor Will Poulter:
“The reports of famine in Sudan are heartbreaking. Families don’t have enough to eat, and millions of children are going to bed hungry with empty stomachs. In parts of the country where emergency supplies are dwindling, thousands of children are already dying from severe hunger. The situation is quickly becoming one of the worst famines ever recorded. With such a severe food shortage, urgent action is needed now to save lives and prevent further suffering. We cannot let children and their families in Sudan die of hunger.”
Footballer and prominent UN supporter Lucy Bronze said:
“Since the conflict in Sudan began over two years ago, children and their families have been subjected to unimaginable horrors, yet the world seems to be looking the other way.”
“Millions of children are trapped in this devastating crisis, and girls in particular are at heightened risk. It is painful to hear of young girls being subjected to rape and sexual violence. Girls are also more likely to eat last and receive less food when supplies are scarce. No child should suffer like this. For their sake, we must all speak up and call for urgent action on Sudan now.”
Actress Joanna Froggatt said:
“Millions of children have been forced to live in dangerous, overcrowded camps, both inside and outside Sudan. These are not safe environments for such young lives. Children’s lives are now at risk as hunger and disease spread amid ongoing violence. They are suffering in silence. We need to shine a spotlight on this crisis and demand swift action from the UK government. By speaking out about Sudan, we can help save children’s lives.”
Singer-songwriter Cat Burns said:
“What’s happening in Sudan is devastating. Children are being driven from their homes, going hungry, and living through horrors no one should have to endure. We can’t ignore this or stay silent. The world must act before more lives are lost.”
Mohamed Kamal, Plan International’s Program Director in Sudan, said:
“The scale of suffering endured by the Sudanese people is unimaginable. Two years of brutal fighting, severe restrictions on life-saving aid, and near-total collapse of food supply across the country have created a humanitarian catastrophe on a scale not seen in generations.”
“With each passing day, more children face the risk of dying from extreme hunger, war, and disease. Ignoring them would be profoundly inhumane.”
The newspaper itself describes the situation in Sudan, stating that the country has suffered from two years of intense fighting, leading to mass displacement, hunger, and near-total collapse of healthcare and food systems.
Warning Against Delay:
Relief organizations now warn that any delay in action could result in tens of thousands of deaths in the coming months.
They urge readers and citizens to email their MPs and demand immediate action to save lives in Sudan.
The report includes the letter and a full list of signatories, encouraging the public to join celebrities and public figures in calling for urgent government action on Sudan.
The group calls on the Prime Minister to provide additional emergency funding and urges the UK government to step up its international efforts to secure a ceasefire in Sudan, where more than 25 million people—almost half the population of England—now face famine.
Text of the Memorandum:
Dear Prime Minister,
After more than two years of brutal conflict, Sudan is now the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with half of its population—a staggering 24.6 million people—facing acute food insecurity.
In collaboration with a coalition of Sudanese civil society organizations and UK relief agencies, we call for swift and scaled-up action from the UK government to help save lives before it is too late.
The conflict has had a devastating impact on children’s lives, with 16 million now in urgent need of support. These children have witnessed and endured brutal violence, lost loved ones, been forced from their homes, and denied education. Women and girls are especially at risk. Harrowing reports of gender-based violence continue to escalate, and millions face increased risks of exploitation and starvation. Girls are less likely to return to school.
In the face of global aid cuts—including those announced by the UK government—it is imperative that world leaders do not turn their backs on Sudan. Despite the UK’s efforts in hosting the Sudan Conference in London this April, there has been a troubling lack of international progress in the months since.
Urgent action is needed now to stop the violence and mass loss of life. Therefore, we urge the UK government to intensify its efforts by:
Increasing international pressure and effective mediation to secure an immediate ceasefire, with UK support for inclusive participation of Sudanese civil society (including women and youth) in all peace processes.
Renewing and expanding efforts to ensure all parties uphold international humanitarian law, enable unrestricted humanitarian access, and allow aid agencies and local responders to reach all those in need.
Announcing additional emergency funding for the Sudan crisis to help save lives, ensuring pledged funds reach those in need in the coming weeks, and urging other governments to scale up their humanitarian efforts.
Significantly increasing UK aid to mutual aid groups in Sudan and all first responders (including women- and youth-led groups and faith leaders).
Expanding support for girls and women affected by the crisis.
Time is running out. Escalating violence, famine, and disease are killing more and more children every day. The UK government must do all it can to help save lives before it is too late.
Sincerely,
Signatories of the Memorandum:
Adjoa Andoh – Actress
Alex Macqueen – Actor and CAFOD Ambassador
Basma Khalifa – Director
Ben Bailey Smith – Actor and Comedian
Bobby Seagull – TV Presenter and CAFOD Supporter
Candice Carty-Williams – Writer and Showrunner
Carrie Grant – Broadcaster
Cat Burns – Singer-Songwriter
Dame Harriet Walter – Actress
Daryl McCormack – Actor
David Grant – Broadcaster
Delia Smith CH CBE – Chef, Author, and Founder
Hayat, Norwich City Fan and CAFOD Ambassador
George Mpanga “George the Poet” – Spoken Word Artist and Blogger
Jerome Flynn – Actor
Joanna Froggatt – Actress
Ken Hom CBE – Chef, Author, and TV Presenter
Lucy Bronze – Footballer and Senior UNHCR Supporter
Misan Harriman – Photographer and Save the Children Ambassador
Peter Gabriel – Musician and Songwriter
Ramla Ali – Professional Boxer
Rick Stein CBE – Chef, Restaurateur, Author, and Broadcaster
Sabrina Elba – Model and Entrepreneur
Sir Steve McQueen – Film and TV Director
Vi Ketevuo – Girls’ Education Activist and Author
Yomi Adegoke – Journalist and Writer
Will Poulter – Actor
Additional Signatories:
Abdalla Idris Abu Garda – Chair, Darfur Diaspora Association
Alex Thornham – Coordinator, Sudan Social Development Organisation UK
Alison Wallace – CEO, SOS Children’s Villages UK
David Thompson – CEO, All We Can
Dr. Christine Allen – Executive Director, CAFOD
Dr. Eeva Khair – Founder, #Women4Sudan Campaign
Dr. Hossam Al-Muqammar – Founder, Sudanese Doctors for Human Rights
Dr. Sara Ibrahim Abdeljalil – Secretary General, Governance Programs Overseas (GPO); NHS Pediatrician
Freddy Mutanguha – CEO, Aegis Trust
Flora Alexander – Executive Director, International Rescue Committee UK
George Graham – CEO, Humanity & Inclusion UK
Helen McEachern – CEO, CARE International UK
Helen Pattinson – CEO, War Child UK
Jean-Michel Grand – Executive Director, Action Against Hunger UK
Josie Naughton – CEO, Choose Love
Lutz Oette – Professor of International Human Rights Law, Co-Director, SOAS Human Rights Centre
Mariana Goetsch – Director, Rights for Peace
Muthanna Malik – Executive Director, Save the Children UK
Patrick Watt – Executive Director, Christian Aid
Peter Marsden – Executive Director, Concordis International
Rose Caldwell – Executive Director, Plan International UK
Rakhee Shah – Executive Director, The Circle
Sandra Golding – Executive Director, ADRA-UK
Sara Bowcutt – Managing Director, Women for Women International UK
Sarah Roberts – Executive Director, Practical Action
Scott Bower – Executive Director, CSW UK (Christian Solidarity Worldwide)
Sonja Miley & Maddy Crowther – Co-Executive Directors, Waging Peace
Susannah Klein – Executive Director, Saferworld
Tufail Hussain – Director, Islamic Relief UK
Zeinab Badawi – Co-Founder and Chair, Humanitarian Action for Sudan (HAS)
Shortlink: https://sudanhorizon.com/?p=5869