Kenya has pledged US$ 2 million (Sh258 million) to support
over 30 million Sudanese people in need of humanitarian assistance.
President William Ruto said Kenya alongside the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), remains prepared to support and facilitate efforts towards a negotiated settlement that will end the suffering of the people of Sudan.
Speaking during a High-Level Humanitarian Conference for the People of Sudan in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Ruto urged warring parties in the Sudan conflict to embrace genuine and inclusive dialogue, as sustainable peace cannot be achieved through military means.
“Thousands have been killed, millions displaced and humanitarian aid blocked. This is an unacceptable state of affairs,” he stated.
Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attended the conference.
Since the start of the conflict in Sudan in mid-April 2023, large numbers of civilians have been forced to flee, including people who were already internally displaced and refugees from other countries who had sought safety in Sudan.
Hundreds of thousands of people have fled to neighbouring countries or returned home in adverse circumstances – notably to the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan and Uganda. Others self-relocated within Sudan.
According to the UN, Sudan is facing one of the most challenging periods in its modern history as the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) plunges the nation deeper into turmoil.
The UN has warned that the crisis is unfolding against a backdrop of extreme vulnerability, as Sudan remains highly susceptible to the impacts of climate change and disasters.
It says droughts and deadly floods, the compounded effects of conflict and environmental instability are pushing communities to the brink, leaving them struggling to survive.
It notes that famine has already been declared in some parts of the country, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and putting millions of lives at immediate risk.
