At a Berlin conference, donors surpassed the funding target, raising over £1bn (€1. 15bn) for war-torn Sudan, aiming to alleviate the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
The financial commitments, which exceeded the initial $1bn (£740m) goal set by German ministers, are intended to address the chronic funding shortfall in a country suffering from three years of conflict. Currently, two-thirds of Sudan’s population, or 34m people, require assistance. Despite the substantial financial pledges, the prospect of peace remains elusive.
Ceasefire talks have shown little progress, with neither the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) nor the Sudanese army present at the Berlin conference.
The Sudanese army’s foreign ministry criticized the conference for not involving the army, accusing western countries of employing a “colonial tutelage approach.”.
Meanwhile, protests erupted outside Germany’s foreign ministry, with many protesters voicing their discontent with the United Arab Emirates and its alleged support for the RSF. Donald Trump’s senior adviser for African affairs, Massad Boulos, emphasized the US’s focus on humanitarian efforts, stating that “our only concern is humanitarian.”Boulos advocated for a humanitarian truce to enable aid delivery and a subsequent permanent ceasefire.
The diplomatic efforts of the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE, known as the Quad, have yet to yield significant progress. German foreign minister Johann Wadephul praised the donors for their contributions, noting that the pledges represented a positive development in a time of shrinking humanitarian resources. He expressed gratitude to all donors for their support.
Sudan faces a critical funding gap to meet its extensive humanitarian needs. To date, only 16% of the £2. 1bn humanitarian needs assessment for Sudan this year has been funded.
UN chief António Guterres highlighted the gravity of the situation, emphasizing credible allegations of the gravest international crimes emerging from the conflict. He called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to external interference and the flow of arms fueling the war. UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper echoed these sentiments, urging a concerted international effort to halt the flow of arms into Sudan.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
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By This original article was produced by the ImNews editorial team
Source: The guardian
Source: Mark Townsend
