International Donors Pledge Over £1 Billion to Aid Sudan Amid Humanitarian Crisis

AI Summary

International donors have pledged over £1 billion to aid Sudan, which is facing a severe humanitarian crisis due to three years of conflict. The funding aims to mitigate the crisis affecting two-thirds of the population, or 34 million people, who require assistance.

An international conference in Berlin has yielded pledges of over £1 billion to support Sudan, a country devastated by three years of conflict. The funding, which exceeds the initial target of $1 billion (£740 million) set by German ministers, aims to alleviate the world's largest humanitarian crisis.

The financial commitments will help address a chronic humanitarian funding shortfall in Sudan, where two-thirds of the population, or 34 million people, require assistance. The crisis has been exacerbated by ongoing conflict between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the army.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged international delegates to take action, highlighting 'credible allegations of the gravest international crimes' and the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities. He emphasized that 'funding alone cannot substitute for peace.'

The UK Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, called for a concerted international effort to stop the flow of arms into Sudan, while the US emphasized its commitment to a humanitarian truce that would allow aid to reach those in need.

Despite the funding pledges, the prospect of peace remains distant, with scant progress reported on ceasefire talks and neither of Sudan's warring parties attending the conference.