The World Health Organization has declared Sudan’s crisis the largest humanitarian catastrophe, with 30 million in need of aid.
Qatar has reaffirmed its strong commitment to Sudan’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, firmly opposing any external interference in its internal affairs.
This stance was made on Tuesday during the joint launch of the 2025 Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan and Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP) in Geneva, where Qatar’s Permanent Representative, Hind Abdulrahman Al Muftah, delivered a statement.
Al Muftah highlighted Qatar’s ongoing collaboration with the United Nations and humanitarian organisations to address the severe challenges facing Sudan.
She urged the international community to ramp up support and urgently fund Sudan’s humanitarian and refugee response efforts.
Humanitarian assistance
The ongoing conflict in Sudan, which began in April 2023, has resulted in catastrophic humanitarian, economic, and social conditions.
Infrastructure has been severely damaged, essential services have collapsed, and millions have been displaced, with women and children bearing the brunt of the crisis.
Qatar has consistently stood by Sudan, providing humanitarian aid and developmental assistance to alleviate the suffering of its people.
The Gulf state has played a pivotal role in supporting Sudan since the onset of the crisis. In 2023, it co-hosted the High-level Pledging Event to Support the Humanitarian Response in Sudan and the Region, and established an airbridge to deliver aid and evacuate Qatari residents.
To date, Qatar’s contributions to Sudan have exceeded $75m, covering food aid, capacity-building for the Sudanese Red Crescent, and support for employment and livelihoods projects.
Qatar’s key organisations—Qatar Charity, Qatar Red Crescent, and Silatech—have been instrumental in delivering aid across various sectors.
In 2024, Qatar Charity reached 736,400 individuals impacted by war and displacement, providing vital food and medical support.
Through its largest food security initiative, funded by the Qatar Fund for Development, it distributed 50,000 food baskets to families in conflict-ridden and displacement-heavy areas, benefiting 300,000 individuals.
Additionally, the organisation provided essential medications for kidney and cancer patients, significantly easing medical shortages in key regions.
‘Biggest humanitarian catastrophe’
The crisis in Sudan is one of the largest humanitarian emergencies in the world, with an estimated 30 million people in need of assistance.
The UN has launched a $6bn appeal to avert further catastrophe, as famine takes hold in multiple regions.
Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher described the situation as dire, with civilians enduring relentless shelling, airstrikes, and widespread sexual violence.
“Children are being killed and injured, and famine conditions have been confirmed in several areas,” he warned.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has reported that famine is already present in over 10 locations, with 17 others on the brink.
WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain described the crisis as a “full-scale hunger catastrophe”, lamenting that the conflict has been largely forgotten despite its severity.
The civil war has displaced 12 million people internally and across borders, with neighbouring countries like Chad and South Sudan struggling to cope with the influx of refugees.
