Opened this Monday, April 15th in Paris, the humanitarian conference on Sudan aims to "mobilize humanitarian funding" to assist the Sudanese and end the conflict in this Horn of Africa country. The expected amount of donations exceeds one billion euros.
The humanitarian conference on Sudan aims to "break the silence" surrounding the "forgotten" war that has been ongoing in Sudan for just over a year. "For a year now, the Sudanese have been the victims of a terrible war (...) which only produces chaos and suffering," lamented French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné. "The Sudanese are also victims of neglect and indifference," he continued.
As soon as the meeting opened, co-chaired by France, Germany, and the European Union, more than 840 million euros were announced, including 110 million from Paris, 244 million from Berlin, 350 million from Brussels, and 138 million from Washington.
The conference consists of three parts: a political segment mainly involving ambassadors and foreign ministers (from South Sudan, Djibouti, Kenya, Chad, among others), a humanitarian segment to collect donations, and a meeting of about forty members of the Sudanese civil society.
German Minister Annalena Baerbock noted that this conference was being held while the eyes remain fixed on the situation in the Middle East after Iran's attack on Israel last Saturday night.
However, the international community must not turn away from the war in Sudan, which has caused a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, she emphasized, mentioning the "unspeakable suffering" and the feeling of abandonment of the Sudanese, victims of a war waged by "two ruthless generals."
The various mediation initiatives have remained ineffective, she continued, calling "for better coordination" and urging the international community to "act together to bring the belligerents to the negotiation table and achieve a ceasefire."
"Only international pressure" can push the belligerents to negotiate, added EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
And there is an urgency to act as Sudan "collapses," highlighted European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid Janez Lenarcic, pointing out the risk of destabilizing the entire Horn of Africa, as the war has forced many Sudanese to move.
"Civilians are suffering from famine, massive sexual violence, large-scale ethnic massacres, and executions. (...) Yet the world continues to look elsewhere," despaired Will Carter, director in Sudan for the Norwegian Refugee Council.
"Today marks a turning point in shame for the belligerent parties in Sudan, as well as for the international community that has let this catastrophe worsen," continues Will Carter in a statement.
While 25 million people, or half of the country's population, need help, Jean Stowell, head of mission for Doctors Without Borders in Sudan, denounces an "extremely worrying humanitarian void."
"In addition to deaths related to violence, we see children dying due to malnutrition and lack of vaccines, women suffering from complications after dangerous childbirths," he lists in a statement.
"Last year's UN humanitarian appeal was only funded by half. This year, only 5%" of the 3.8 billion euros requested have been funded, points out the Quai d'Orsay. "We do not claim to reach them in Paris but hope that the international community will wake up."
Laetitia Bader, deputy director of the Africa division at Human Rights Watch, calls for a "very tough message" and international sanctions against the belligerents, who have "prevented the humanitarian response," "massively looted aid" and planned "killings of humanitarians," in addition to the numerous atrocities against civilians.
"This is the purpose of our meetings today: to break the silence surrounding this conflict and mobilize the international community," the head of French diplomacy also stated.
The war in Sudan broke out on April 15, 2023, between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhane and those of Mohamed Hamdane Daglo, his former deputy and commander of the rapid support paramilitary forces.
More than 3.4 million people now urgently need a humanitarian response in Chad, according to Action Against Hunger (ACF), as a result of the massive influx of refugees fleeing the war in Sudan.
