Germany hosted an international conference on Wednesday to raise funds for those affected by the war in Sudan. The date also marked the third anniversary of the conflict between the Sudanese military led by Abdel-Fattah Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
Ahead of the conference, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he was hopeful more than $1 billion (around €850 million) could be raised. He later announced that €1.3 billion (about $1.53 billion) had been pledged — more than the $1 billion secured at last year’s donor conference in London. “This major humanitarian crisis in Africa must not be forgotten,” Wadephul said.
Wadephul announced Germany would make another €212 million available for humanitarian assistance in Sudan. German Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan said Germany would also free up another €20 million, on top of the €155.4 million earmarked for projects in Sudan at the end of last year. Wadephul said that, despite tight budgets, Berlin must try to fill the funding gap left by cuts to US foreign aid under the Trump administration and that he had discussed Germany’s own recent aid cuts with Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, framing assistance not as a “moral-ethical obligation” but as a way to prevent people having to flee the country. “Let’s join forces so that humanitarian aid and humanitarian diplomacy can save lives,” he said.
Additional pledges included 146 million pounds (around €168 million, $198 million) from the UK and €42 million from Norway. British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper called for an international effort to stop the flow of weapons into Sudan and to press for a ceasefire. “Countries from across the world are coming together here in Berlin to discuss the way, frankly, the international community has failed the people of Sudan,” she said, adding that every possible pressure should be applied to force an urgent ceasefire.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres joined the conference via video, warning the conflict’s consequences extend beyond Sudan and are destabilizing the wider region. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said the anniversary “marks another year when the world has failed to meet the test of Sudan.”
After three years of war, the human cost remains severe:
– At least 59,000 people have been killed, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED). The true toll could be higher.
– Around 4,300 children are believed to be among the dead, according to UNICEF.
– Some 19 million people face acute hunger, the World Food Program says.
– About 9 million people are internally displaced, and roughly 4.5 million have fled to neighboring countries.
– Around 217 health facilities have been targeted in verified attacks, according to the World Health Organization.
The conflict followed the 2019 ouster of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir. The hoped-for transition collapsed into a power struggle between Burhan and Dagalo, once his deputy. The country is effectively divided: the military controls much of the north, east and central regions — including Red Sea ports and oil refineries — while the RSF controls Darfur and parts of Kordofan in the south and west.
The war has international dimensions tied to interest in Sudan’s oil fields and gold mines. The military has received support from Egypt, while mounting evidence points to backing for the RSF from the United Arab Emirates, which denies involvement. Millions have been caught in the violence, including widespread sexual violence, particularly in Darfur, where the RSF has been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
This year’s donor pledges aim to address immediate humanitarian needs, but aid groups and officials stress that ending the fighting and preventing further destabilization will require sustained political pressure and efforts to halt arms flows into Sudan. Edited by: Rana Taha