Saudi Arabia, Qatar pledge $150M for humanitarian response in Sudan

By Ibrahim Khazen

ISTANBUL (AA) – Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Monday pledged $150 million for humanitarian response in conflict-torn Sudan.

This came in a donor conference held in Geneva to raise funds for humanitarian aid in Sudan, which has been ravaged by clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group since April.

The conference is also attended by Egypt, Germany, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the European Union, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

“The Sudanese people look forward to the pledges that will be made during the conference,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said via videoconference.

He said Saudi Arabia will provide humanitarian aid worth $100 million to Sudan.

“Saudi Arabia has flown 13 planes and two ships loaded with aid to Sudan,” he added.

“Saudi Arabi will continue its efforts to reach a political solution to the crisis in Sudan,” bin Farhan said.

Qatar, meanwhile, pledged $50 million for humanitarian response in Sudan.

“We stand with the Sudanese people and support all efforts to find a political solution to the crisis,” Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman said.

Addressing the conference, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry called for the provision of urgent relief to Sudan.

“Egypt provided around 300 tons of urgent medical and food aid and received more than 250,000 Sudanese, which is equivalent to 60% of the total number of people fleeing violence,” he added.

According to local medics, nearly 1,000 civilians have been killed and 5,000 others injured since the outbreak of violence in Sudan.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that more than 2.2 million people have been displaced by the current conflict in Sudan.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi