Foreign Minister Participates in Donor Conference for Sudan, Renews Kingdom's Support for Sudan and its People
Paris, June 19, 2023, SPA -- Today, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, participated in the high-level Donor Conference for Sudan 2023. The conference took place via video conference and was co-chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Republic of Germany, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the European Union, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
In his speech at the conference, the Foreign Minister said: "We are meeting today and the Sudanese people are looking forward to the pledges that will result from the Donor Conference for Sudan, which they aspire to be presented urgently, to help them face the humanitarian challenges and the harsh conditions they are going through, especially with the exacerbation of suffering due to the events taking place in Sudan."
Prince Faisal reaffirmed the Kingdom's commitment to standing by the Sudanese people and its continuous efforts to find a political solution to the crisis. He mentioned the Saudi-US initiative that hosted the conflicting parties in Jeddah last May, urging them to engage in dialogue and reduce the escalation in Sudan.
The Minister highlighted the successful agreement reached between the Kingdom and the US, known as the "Jeddah Declaration," as well as subsequent humanitarian truces. He expressed hope that these efforts would protect civilians and ensure the delivery of aid to those affected by the conflict.
Prince Faisal reiterated that the Kingdom, both the government and its people, has spared no effort in supporting the Sudanese people since the beginning of the crisis. This includes the announcement of $100 million in humanitarian aid through King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), as well as the operation of an airlift that has already transported 13 planes to Sudan. Additionally, a sea bridge has been established, with two ships carrying food, health supplies, shelter assistance, and other necessities. Furthermore, a popular campaign has been launched through KSrelief's "Sahem" platform.
The Minister noted that since the onset of the Sudanese crisis, the Kingdom has taken the initiative to conduct the first sea evacuation of citizens and nationals from friendly countries who were stranded in Sudan. This effort has resulted in the successful evacuation of 8,455 individuals from 110 countries. He commended the outstanding cooperation between the Kingdom's aid agencies, United Nations organizations, and other international institutions specialized in providing aid, which has contributed to alleviating the suffering of affected Sudanese refugees.
Prince Faisal emphasized the importance of restoring humanitarian operations, protecting civilians and relief workers, and ensuring the safety of humanitarian corridors for the delivery of essential aid. He called for increased efforts to urge all parties involved to provide the necessary support to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people. Furthermore, he highlighted the Kingdom's contribution to establishing a humanitarian zone in Jeddah for the World Food Programme (WFP), which will serve as a centre for storing and distributing humanitarian aid to Sudan and neighbouring countries affected by the crisis. The zone will also facilitate the operations of the WFP-operated UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS).
--SPA
