Bi-Monthly Newsletter (August - September 2024) - UNOCHA African Union Liaison Office (AULO): Issued October 2024

Inside the issue:

• The Summit of the future

• HCF Meeting focused on Sudan

• Humanitarian Diplomacy Framework

• World Humanitarian Day commemoration

International forum addresses humanitarian crisis in Sudan

New York. On 25 September, the recent high-level event, co-hosted by OCHA, UNHCR, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United States of America, the African Union, and the European Union, brought together global leaders to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in Sudan, on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly.

The forum was opened by the Under-SecretaryGeneral for Global Communications, who emphasized the urgent need to address the dire situation in Sudan. Acting Under-Secretary-General Joyce Msuya highlighted the worsening conditions since the previous year’s gathering, describing the unfolding nightmare that has gone largely unaddressed by the international community.

Key issues discussed included widespread violations such as sexual violence and ethnically motivated attacks, severe flooding, and intensified fighting in El-Fashar/North Darfur. These events have contributed to the world’s highest displacement crisis, with more than half of Sudan’s population facing food insecurity, and basic services breaking down. The lack of humanitarian access has exacerbated the situation, with diseases like cholera and malaria spreading among the affected populations.

Participants at the forum reached a consensus on the need for immediate action. They called for the continuation and expansion of border crossings for humanitarian aid, the disbursement of previously pledged funds, additional financial support, and strong political will to end the conflict. There was a unanimous demand for the prosecution of international humanitarian law violators, protection of civilians and infrastructure, and facilitation of aid workers’ efforts.

Ambassador Minata Samate Cessouma, representing the African Union, expressed gratitude to countries contributing to the solution and urged the disbursement of pledged funds at the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and neighbouring countries, in April 2024. She acknowledged the burden on neighboring countries and thanked them for keeping their borders open despite the challenges. The African Union has provided US$7 million to support several countries, including Sudan, and emphasized that a military solution is not viable, advocating for a negotiated resolution instead.

Although the forum was not a pledging event, member states and partners committed to new funding and announced disbursements from previous pledges made at the Paris conference.

The forum concluded with a strong call for immediate and coordinated action to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people and to work towards a sustainable and peaceful resolution to the crisis.