The State of Qatar participated in the high-level ministerial side event to support the humanitarian response in Sudan and the region, on the margins of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
HE Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater represented the State of Qatar in the event.
The State of Qatar participated in the organization of the event, along with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the European Union, and the African Union.
In the State of Qatar’s remark before the event, HE Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed her deep regret over the humanitarian and tragic consequences of the fighting that has been ongoing in Sudan since April 15, which claimed lives of hundreds of defenseless civilians and led to displacement and migration of millions.
She reiterated the State of Qatar’s call on the parties to the conflict in Sudan to immediately halt fighting and fully cooperate to facilitate access of humanitarian assistance to the affected people and abide by the principles and items of the international humanitarian law.
Minister of State for International Cooperation pointed to the session of talks held on Sept. 7 between HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and HE Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of the sisterly Republic of the Sudan General Abdel Fattah Al Burhan during which the firm position of the State of Qatar towards supporting the unity, independence and territorial integrity of the sisterly Sudan was affirmed, in addition to reaffirming the State of Qatar’s position that calls for immediate cessation of fighting and pursuit of dialogue and peaceful means, expressing the State of Qatar’s aspiration to the engagement of all political forces in broad negotiations after the permanent cessation of the military conflict to attain a comprehensive agreement and sustainable peace, as well as the State of Qatar’s appreciation for the regional and international efforts and good endeavors that aim to end conflict and achieve stability in Sudan.
Her Excellency outlined that the State of Qatar stands with its Sudanese brothers and considers this a deserved duty dictated by the requirements of fraternity and religion, whose humanitarian and development efforts have been continuing, in addition to the State of Qatar’s efforts in supporting stability, making, and building peace in Sudan. She pointed out that the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) signed in 2011, comes at the forefront of these efforts, in addition to the State of Qatar’s support for construction, development and peace-building projects in the Darfur region since 2013 with USD500 million.
Since the breakout of the recent armed conflict on April 15, 2023, and the consequential humanitarian crisis, the State of Qatar has taken the initiative to stand with Sudan and launched an air bridge to deliver humanitarian assistance to Sudanese brothers, where the cost of humanitarian assistance, amounting to nearly 371 tons in the first phase, amounted to more than USD10 million, in addition to the evacuation of 1,855 people, including Sudanese residents in the State of Qatar who were spending their vacations in their country when the war broke out until August 2023, Her Excellency added.
She noted the announcement made by HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani on the State of Qatar’s pledge of USD million to support the humanitarian response plan in Sudan during a pledging conference to announce the pledges held on Jun. 19 and was co-chaired by the State of Qatar with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Arab Republic of Egypt and Federal Republic of Germany, to support the humanitarian response in Sudan and the region.
Her Excellency expressed the State of Qatar’s regret over the increasing complexity of the humanitarian situation considering the escalation of the severity of the armed conflict, pointing out that this is evidently demonstrated in the updated reports of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Her Excellency said the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Sudan requires more urgent support and ample funding to bridge the gap of funding in the humanitarian response plan for Sudan, along with the regional plan for refugees. She stressed that it is necessary for all nations to live up to their pledges that were announced last June, adding that it is important to rapidly counter and contain the entire crisis to ensure that it does not exacerbate and spillover into Sudan’s neighboring countries.
At the outset of the remark, HE Minister of State for International Cooperation expressed the State of Qatar’s pride in co-sponsoring the high-level ministerial event, which is of utmost importance in the context of responding to the worsening humanitarian crisis in the sisterly Sudan and the region. (QNA)
Source: Qatar News Agency
