Berlin conference aims to raise $1B for Sudan

Germany hosted an international donor conference in Berlin to mobilize aid for people affected by the war in Sudan, coinciding with the third anniversary of fighting between the Sudanese military led by Abdel-Fattah Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he hoped the gathering could secure more than $1 billion (about €850 million) and warned the crisis must not be forgotten. German Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan announced an extra €20 million on top of €155.4 million pledged late last year. Wadephul also said Berlin needs to try to fill gaps left by large cuts to US foreign aid under the Trump administration, adding that support is not only a moral obligation but helps prevent displacement and suffering. The UK and Norway made fresh pledges at the conference: British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper committed an additional £146 million (roughly €168 million, $198 million) and Norway’s Espen Barth Eide pledged €42 million. Cooper urged the international community to stem the flow of weapons into Sudan and to press all sides for an urgent ceasefire, saying donors must push the warring parties to agree to a halt in fighting. The conflict, now entering its fourth year, has inflicted a severe humanitarian toll. Monitoring group ACLED estimates at least 59,000 people have been killed, though the true figure may be higher. UNICEF says around 4,300 of the dead are children. The World Food Programme reports about 19 million people face acute hunger. Some 9 million people are internally displaced and about 4.5 million have fled to neighboring countries. The World Health Organization has verified roughly 217 attacks on health facilities. The current war followed the 2019 ouster of longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir and a later power struggle between Burhan and Dagalo, which thwarted a hoped-for transition. The country is now divided: the military controls much of the north, east and central regions, including Red Sea ports and oil infrastructure, while the RSF holds Darfur and parts of Kordofan in the south and west. The conflict also has international dimensions tied to Sudan’s oil and gold resources. Egypt has backed the military, and mounting evidence points to support for the RSF from the United Arab Emirates, which denies involvement. Millions have been caught up in widespread violence, including pervasive sexual violence; the RSF has been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher described the anniversary as a grim reminder that the world has failed to meet the test of Sudan, underscoring the urgency of funding and diplomatic pressure to protect civilians and pursue an end to the fighting.