Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani urged global action to support Palestinians and end Sudan’s war during his address at the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha.
Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani highlighted the crisis in the Gaza Strip and the atrocities in Darfur’s El-Fasher during his opening address at the United Nations’ Second World Summit for Social Development on Tuesday.
The Qatari leader stressed that “social development cannot be achieved in societies without peace and stability”, pointing to the dire situation in Gaza and the developing crisis in Darfur’s El-Fasher.
“The brotherly Palestinian people need all possible support to address the catastrophic effects left by the brutal Israeli aggression and to confront the process of building an apartheid system in Palestine,” Sheikh Tamim said.
He also called on the international community to intensify support for “the steadfast” Palestinian people in reconstruction efforts and to meet their humanitarian needs until justice is achieved.
Qatar has played a pivotal mediation role alongside Egypt, the United States, and Turkiye in brokering the latest Gaza ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel on October 9.
The deal aimed at ending the two-year Israeli genocide that killed at least 68,858 people since October 7, 2023, with thousands of others still trapped under the rubble.
However, Israel has violated the ceasefire deal more than 80 times since it came into force on October 10, killing dozens of people.
Sheikh Tamim also condemned the atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El-Fasher after they seized the city last week following an 18-month siege.
“I cannot conclude this speech without referring to our collective shock at the horror of the atrocities committed in the city of El-Fasher in the Darfur region in Sudan and our unequivocal condemnation of them,” the Qatari leader said.
The deadly civil war erupted in Sudan in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the RSF, triggering a humanitarian catastrophe. Since taking control of El-Fasher, the RSF has carried out mass killings and massacres across the area, where at least 260,000 people remain trapped.
“Sudan has endured the horrors of this war for two-and-a-half years, and the time has come to end it and reach a political solution that ensures Sudan’s unity, sovereignty and the safety of its territories,” Sheikh Tamim said.
‘A booster shot for development’
The UN summit is taking place at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) until Thursday, with the attendance of world leaders and officials.
The opening session saw the adoption of the Doha Political Declaration, which UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described as a “booster shot for development”.
“The Doha Political Declaration represents a booster shot for development. At its heart, the Declaration is a people’s plan. Bringing it to life requires action in four areas,” Guterres said.
