France will host a humanitarian conference for Sudan and its neighbouring countries on April 15, aiming to raise awareness and funds for the dire situation in the African nation, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne announced on Wednesday.
Speaking at the National Assembly, Sejourne said that the conference in Paris would seek to “help resolve this dramatic humanitarian crisis” that has affected millions of people in Sudan and the region. He did not give further details on the agenda or the participants of the conference.
Sudan has been mired in a civil war since April 2023, when a power struggle erupted between the army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who leads the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group accused of atrocities.
The conflict has killed thousands of people, displaced millions more, and triggered a humanitarian emergency, with more than half of the population in need of aid, according to the United Nations.
The UN also estimates that 1.6 million Sudanese have fled to neighbouring countries, mainly Chad and Egypt, while 6.1 million are internally displaced within Sudan.
The World Health Organization warned on Tuesday that the upcoming lean season, when food stocks are low, could worsen the situation and cause catastrophic levels of hunger and malnutrition.
Sejourne said that the humanitarian conference for Sudan should not be a “forgotten crisis” and urged the international community to show solidarity and support for the Sudanese people.
