More than £1bn pledged for Sudan as humanitarian crisis deepens

More than £1bn (€1.15bn) has been pledged for war-ravaged Sudan at a conference in Berlin, eclipsing the funding target organisers had set to help mitigate the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

The financial commitments made on Wednesday will also help offset a chronic humanitarian funding shortfall in a country devastated by three years of conflict, where two-thirds of its population – 34m people – require assistance.

German ministers had set a notional target of $1bn (£740m) in funding commitments from international donors.

Hours after hearing the UN chief, António Guterres, call for an end to the “nightmare”, delegates had pledged a total of £1.13bn.

However, the prospect of peace remains as distant as ever, with scant progress reported on ceasefire talks. Neither of Sudan’s warring parties – the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the army – travelled to Berlin.

As the conference got under way, Sudan’s army-aligned foreign ministry denounced delegates for not consulting it, accusing western countries of a “colonial tutelage approach”.

Delegates, including Germany’s foreign minister, Johann Wadephul (left), and the UK foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, at the conference in Berlin. Photograph: Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images

Outside Germany’s foreign ministry, hundreds of protesters assembled, many chanting against the United Arab Emirates and its alleged support for the RSF.

Inside, speaking on the event’s sidelines, Donald Trump’s senior adviser for African affairs, Massad Boulos, said the US was not taking sides in the war and that “our only concern is humanitarian”.

Boulos said the US was seeking a humanitarian truce that would allow aid to reach those in need, adding that any truce should lead to a permanent ceasefire.

Diplomatic efforts led by the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE – known as the Quad – have so far failed to achieve meaningful progress.

Announcing the funding pledges, Germany’s foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, said the commitments provided a rare positive development in the context of shrinking aid budgets.

He said: “The fact that, in a world of dwindling humanitarian resources, participants have already pledged more than €1.3bn in support is a good sign. For this, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all donors.”

Sudan is grappling with an alarming funding shortfall to cope with its vast humanitarian challenges.

So far, just 16% of the overall £2.1bn humanitarian needs assessment for Sudan this year has been funded.

Earlier, Guterres told international delegates that “credible allegations of the gravest international crimes” were continually emerging from the conflict.

He said: “Women and girls have been terrorised and systematic sexual violence has prevailed. Families and communities have been devastated.

“Partners must step up. But let’s be clear: funding alone cannot substitute for peace.”

Guterres called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, adding: “External interference and the flow of arms that fuel this war must finally end.”

Egypt is among a number of states supporting Sudan’s military, while evidence suggests the UAE is backing the RSF; a claim it denies.

Without naming any countries, the UK foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, called for a concerted international effort to stop the flow of arms into Sudan.

She said: “Countries from across the world are coming together here in Berlin to discuss the way, frankly, the international community has failed the people of Sudan.”