Regional leaders have gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for a humanitarian conference to rally support for Sudan, which is devastated by a brutal civil war between its military and Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict, which began in April 2023, has displaced more than 12 million people and killed tens of thousands.
The conference, organized by the East African regional bloc IGAD and the UN, was held in conjunction with the annual African Union summit. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the crisis in Sudan is not just a national problem, but a regional and global concern.
Kenyan President William Ruto highlighted the devastating impact of the war, saying that the progress towards food security that Sudan once showed with strong wheat and sugar cane harvests has been reversed. “More than half of the Sudanese population is now food insecure,” he said.
Leaders at the conference stressed the need for continued and urgent attention to the political and humanitarian crisis. The United Nations also announced plans to launch the 2025 Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan and the Sudan Refugee Response Plan.
Ethiopia, which faces an influx of refugees due to its proximity to Sudan, has pledged $15 million in aid, while Kenya has pledged $2 million for humanitarian efforts. The African Union’s Peace and Security Council is set to hold a special session on the ongoing conflict in Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.