European Parliament to Hold Consultations on Political Reforms in Tunisia

Tunisians buy fresh produce at a market on the first day of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in Tunis, Tunisia, 02 April 2022. (EPA)
Tunisians buy fresh produce at a market on the first day of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in Tunis, Tunisia, 02 April 2022. (EPA)
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European Parliament to Hold Consultations on Political Reforms in Tunisia

Tunisians buy fresh produce at a market on the first day of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in Tunis, Tunisia, 02 April 2022. (EPA)
Tunisians buy fresh produce at a market on the first day of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in Tunis, Tunisia, 02 April 2022. (EPA)

Members of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee will travel to Tunis for consultations on Tunisia’s path towards political reforms and a return to institutional stability.

During the visit, from April 11-13, a high-level delegation of the European Parliament will meet the Tunisian president, representatives of the government, political parties, and civil society to discuss how the EU can continue to support Tunisia in the process of political reform and democratic consolidation.

This ad-hoc delegation will also provide the opportunity to discuss with relevant interlocutors if and how the European Parliament can support Tunisia in preparing for the planned elections at the end of 2022.

In addition, the delegation will pay special attention to the economic situation in Tunisia and on how the EU can best support Tunisian authorities in the implementation of economic reforms for the benefit of all Tunisians in light of the economic and food security crises, the global pandemic and the effects of the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Due to the suspension of the parliament, Tunisian authorities, and several parties loyal to the president had previously rejected a similar visit by European Parliament members to the country.

They viewed the visit as meddling in Tunisia's internal affairs.



US Aid Cut Threatens Thousands of Sudanese with Starvation and Death

Sudanese women from community kitchens, run by local volunteers, prepare meals for people who are affected by conflict and extreme hunger and are out of reach of international aid efforts. (Reuters)
Sudanese women from community kitchens, run by local volunteers, prepare meals for people who are affected by conflict and extreme hunger and are out of reach of international aid efforts. (Reuters)
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US Aid Cut Threatens Thousands of Sudanese with Starvation and Death

Sudanese women from community kitchens, run by local volunteers, prepare meals for people who are affected by conflict and extreme hunger and are out of reach of international aid efforts. (Reuters)
Sudanese women from community kitchens, run by local volunteers, prepare meals for people who are affected by conflict and extreme hunger and are out of reach of international aid efforts. (Reuters)

The freezing of US humanitarian assistance has forced the closure of almost 80% of the emergency food kitchens set up to help people left destitute by Sudan's civil war, the BBC reported on Tuesday.

Last month, the administration of US President Donald Trump administration abruptly suspended all US aid to determine whether it was “serving US interests,” and moved to begin dismantling the US government's development organization (USAID).

Aid volunteers said the impact of Trump's executive order halting contributions from USAID for 90 days meant more than 1,100 communal kitchens had shut.

The kitchens are run by groups known as emergency response rooms, a grassroots network of activists who stayed on the frontlines to respond to the crises in their neighborhoods.

“People are knocking on the volunteers' doors,” says Duaa Tariq, one of the emergency room organizers. “People are screaming from hunger in the streets.”

Most of the kitchens had closed, she said. Some are trying to get food on credit from local fishermen and farmers, but very soon “we expect to see a lot of people starving.”

It is estimated that nearly two million people struggling to survive have been affected by the US decision.

It is a “huge setback” says Andrea Tracy, a former USAID official who has set up a fund, the Mutual Aid Sudan Coalition, for private donations to the emergency rooms.

The Mutual Aid Sudan Coalition fund will do what it can to plug the gap left by USAID, Tracy said.

The conflict between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has killed tens of thousands of people, forced millions from their homes and left many facing famine since it erupted in April 2023.

More than 25 million Sudanese are facing high levels of acute food insecurity across the country, according to UN estimates.