Shahda Matar, deputy permanent representative and responsible person at the permanent delegation of the UN in Geneva, participated in the launch of the humanitarian needs plan and response to Sudan by 2025 between the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the UN Coordination Office for humanitarian issues. Tom Fletcher, deputy general secretary of the UN on humanitarian issues, noted that two years of conflict in Sudan led to one of the largest and most complex crises resulting in forced displacement of populations in the world, which is why the UN developed the largest humanitarian appeal for Sudan totaling 6 billion dollars.
Philippe Grande, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, expressed gratitude for the financial commitments made at the conference, stating: "We thank those who made commitments in Addis Ababa, but most importantly, that these commitments became a concrete reality." Shahda Matar emphasized the importance of this key moment, occurring at the Summit of the African Union in the capital Addis Ababa, where the UN, along with the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the African Union, and the International Agency for Development (IGAD), collaborated with the UN to organize a high-level humanitarian conference for the people of Sudan. She noted that the joint statement made at the conference in Addis Ababa serves as a call for humanitarian action during the holy month of Ramadan - a possibility for achieving peace and, even more importantly, delivering crucial humanitarian aid to all those in need in Sudan. "The UN declared at the "high-level humanitarian conference for the people of Sudan" in Addis Ababa on additional humanitarian assistance for a total of 200 million dollars from the USA amidst the increased humanitarian needs of the UN and their support for the Sudanese people in the conditions of an escalating humanitarian crisis," she noted. She further pointed out that the UN's claim for additional humanitarian assistance reflects their commitment to support the brotherly Sudanese people, where they provided assistance totaling 600.4 million dollars for humanitarian response (200 million at the conference in Addis Ababa and 400 million over 22 months of this ongoing conflict, giving a total of 3.5 billion dollars provided by the UN to the Sudanese people over the last ten years, affirming their ongoing obligation to support those in need in times of crisis." She concluded her address with the words: "We must capitalize on this moment to strengthen international efforts to achieve collective and decisive humanitarian response, as the situation in Sudan does not permit further delays." The UN also emphasized the need for all parties to guarantee unhindered and sustainable access without any obstacles to humanitarian assistance, as this is not only a moral imperative but also an obligation in accordance with international humanitarian law, as they firmly believe that obstructing access to assistance is unacceptable.
