Berlin hosts Sudan conference amid brutal, forgotten war

Overview

Berlin hosted a major conference on Wednesday aimed at addressing the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where a brutal civil war has killed around 150,000 people and forced 12 million to flee, according to multiple reports. The talks, held on the third anniversary of the conflict's start, brought together representatives from the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the African Union, seeking to secure additional funds and prevent the crisis from being overshadowed by other global emergencies.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting on the conference focuses on different aspects of the crisis. Deutsche Welle emphasized the scale of the humanitarian disaster and the lack of global attention, citing figures such as 150,000 deaths, 12 million displaced, and 33 million dependent on aid. The Guardian, meanwhile, highlighted the funding shortfall and specific famine risks, reporting that only 16% of humanitarian funding needed for Sudan has been provided this year. Both outlets noted the absence of the warring parties—the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—from the Berlin talks, underscoring the slim chances of a ceasefire.

Key Claims

• Death toll and displacement: Around 150,000 people have died in the conflict, and nearly 12 million Sudanese—about a quarter of the population—have been displaced, as reported by both Deutsche Welle and The Guardian.
• Humanitarian dependency: More than 33 million people within Sudan rely on aid, approximately two-thirds of the population, according to Deutsche Welle.
• Funding shortfall: Only 16% of the humanitarian funding needed for Sudan this year has been provided, according to The Guardian, which attributes this partly to US President Donald Trump's significant aid cuts—a claim carried by both outlets.
• German and UK pledges: Germany announced an increase of €20 million in aid, focusing on women, as reported by Deutsche Welle. The UK pledged £15 million for frontline responders—a doubling of its previous commitment—and will provide funding equivalent to around €168 million for 2026, according to The Guardian and Deutsche Welle.
• Hunger and famine: More than 19 million people face acute hunger, with "emergency" levels of hunger across North Kordofan, West Kordofan, South Kordofan, and North Darfur, per the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), as cited by The Guardian.
• Atrocities: A claim that rape is used as a weapon of war "almost on an industrial scale" was mentioned only by Deutsche Welle, and has not been independently verified.
• Arms shipments: Large-scale arms shipments from many countries are fueling the conflict, a claim reported by a single outlet (Deutsche Welle) and not yet corroborated elsewhere.

Perspectives

Humanitarian urgency: Both outlets stress the catastrophic scale of the crisis and the need for immediate funding, with The Guardian quoting British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper urging the international community to "secure a ceasefire and a diplomatic solution." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also highlighted that over 20 million people are facing starvation, according to Deutsche Welle.

Political realism: The Guardian notes analysts believe the conference is unlikely to deliver a significant step toward peace, and Deutsche Welle observes that representatives of the warring factions are not present, reflecting the limited prospects for a ceasefire.

Funding and global attention: The conference is seen as an effort to address the funding shortfall and refocus global attention on a crisis that has been "largely unnoticed," as Deutsche Welle puts it, amid competing international emergencies.