NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for an end to the flow of weapons into war-hit Sudan.
He also stressed the protection of civilians, including humanitarian workers, while calling uninterrupted supply of aid in the affected areas.
“Let’s (be) clear about basic principles,” said Guterres. “Civilians, including humanitarian workers, must be protected. “Rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access must be facilitated in all areas of need.
“The external support and flow of weapons must end. This flow is enabling the continuation of tremendous civilian destruction and bloodshed,” he said.
The UN top official was speaking in Addis Ababa at a high-level meeting on Sudan, where he stressed that the country’s crisis, which has displaced millions and caused widespread suffering, requires an unprecedented response.
Next week, the UN, in collaboration with national and international partners, will roll out two major humanitarian initiatives to aid those impacted by the conflict: the 2025 Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan and the 2025 Sudan Refugee Response Plan.
Together, these plans aim to raise $6 billion to support approximately 21 million people in Sudan and up to 5 million refugees in neighboring countries.
Guterres called for urgent global action to end the worsening humanitarian crisis in the war-ravaged country.
“Now the international community must show the same level of support to the Sudanese people in their moment of despair as the Sudanese people once showed to their neighbors in distress. “Your pledges today, in this room, will be the expression of that support,” he told donors.
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He also lauded the efforts of countries hosting Sudanese refugees, noting that 3.3 million Sudanese have sought refuge in these nations despite their own challenges.
The war between Sudan’s army (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023 has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 12 million, according to the United Nations, and pushed millions to the brink of famine.
A report by the Sudan Research Group at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine puts the number of deaths in Khartoum state alone at 61,000.
