€1.5 billion announced in the Berlin conference… Sudan at the heart of a global humanitari

Today in Berlin, we—Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, the African Union, and the European Union—convened the Third International Conference on Sudan, marking three years since the outbreak of the devastating war in Sudan. This conference builds on the outcomes of the previous Sudan conferences held in Paris in 2024 and London in 2025.

The Third International Conference on Sudan brought together ministers and representatives from 55 countries, including neighboring states, regional actors, and donors; representatives from regional organizations such as IGAD and the League of Arab States; the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy to Sudan; leaders or representatives of numerous UN agencies and programs, including OCHA, UNHCR, WHO, WFP, IOM, UNFPA, and UNDP; the Secretary-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross; representatives from the World Bank and the African Development Bank; as well as 38 international and Sudanese NGOs. Members of Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms also participated, sharing testimonies of resilience and courage in working amid what is considered the most severe humanitarian crisis of our time.

Participants gathered around shared objectives: calling for an end to hostilities; immediate compliance with international humanitarian law; ensuring full, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access across all parts of Sudan, including through cross-border operations; removing all bureaucratic obstacles to the delivery of urgent aid; committing to the protection of civilians; and ensuring the continuity of humanitarian operations. Participants emphasized that sustainable humanitarian access should not be conditional on a humanitarian pause or ceasefire agreement. They also mobilized essential funding for the humanitarian response in Sudan and neighboring countries.

The conference highlighted the voices of Sudanese civilians and provided a dedicated platform to amplify their collective call for de-escalation and progress toward a political solution. As the conflict continues to intensify and its consequences worsen for civilians, Sudanese civil actors gathered in Berlin at the invitation of the “Quintet” (the African Union, the United Nations, the European Union, IGAD, and the League of Arab States) to discuss launching a Sudanese-Sudanese political dialogue that could pave the way for a civilian transition once a permanent ceasefire is achieved. This process is seen as essential to ensuring a comprehensive, civilian, and democratic future for Sudan. This civil engagement aims to complement ongoing international mediation efforts, including the Quartet’s work on a ceasefire and the Quintet’s consultations supporting future Sudanese-Sudanese political dialogue.

Sudan is facing the world’s most severe humanitarian crisis. More than 13 million people have been displaced due to the conflict, including 7 million internally displaced persons and over 4 million who have fled to neighboring countries at the peak of the crisis. Humanitarian needs continue to grow, with an estimated 33.7 million people inside Sudan requiring assistance. Famine has been confirmed in several areas, while nearly 30 million people need food aid. Around 12 million people, including children, are at risk of gender-based violence. Participants renewed their call on the parties to the conflict to remove all obstacles restricting life-saving aid and ensure safe, rapid, and unimpeded access for supplies and humanitarian personnel across Sudan. They also urged respect for the life-saving and neutral nature of humanitarian assistance and called on all parties to engage constructively with humanitarian agencies operating in a neutral, safe, and transparent manner. Furthermore, they called for enabling humanitarian organizations, including the UN, to carry out their work and ensuring that all students can safely sit for upcoming national examinations across Sudan.

Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, the African Union, and the European Union express their solidarity with and support for the Sudanese people, who are the primary victims of this war. The escalation of fighting in recent months in El Obeid, Dilling, Kadugli, and Babanusa in Kordofan, as well as in Blue Nile and along the Chad border in Darfur, has resulted in the killing of hundreds of civilians, indiscriminate shelling, sieges of civilians, and denial of life-saving aid. We strongly condemn the horrific violence against civilians, especially women and children, including ethnically motivated attacks, attacks on humanitarian workers, shelling of civilian and humanitarian infrastructure, sexual and gender-based violence, and all violations of international humanitarian law. These violations may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity and must be urgently and impartially investigated, with perpetrators held accountable. We also urge an end to all forms of external support to the parties to the conflict, which prolong the war and civilian suffering.

We commend the efforts of international and local humanitarian organizations, including Sudanese mutual aid groups and Emergency Response Rooms, in supporting populations in hard-to-reach areas. We also appreciate the efforts of neighboring countries hosting large numbers of those fleeing the conflict. Local frontline responders face the greatest risks while trying to reach those in need. Approximately 130 humanitarian workers have been killed while performing their duties since the outbreak of the war in April 2023, with many others injured, detained, or tortured. International humanitarian law guarantees protection for humanitarian workers, and all parties to the conflict must take immediate and concrete steps to ensure their safety.

We support the efforts of the Quintet to find a resolution to this conflict and alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people. We also welcome the appointment of Pekka Haavisto as the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy to Sudan.

International donors today announced approximately €1.5 billion in funding, including more than €811 million from the European Union and its member states, to respond to humanitarian needs in Sudan and neighboring countries that continue to host large numbers of refugees fleeing the conflict.