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International donors pledged €1.3 billion ($1.53 billion) in humanitarian aid for Sudan at a conference in Berlin on Wednesday, marking the third anniversary of the country's devastating civil war. The pledge, announced by German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, exceeds the $1 billion raised at last year's donor conference in London.

Germany, the host, committed €212 million in new humanitarian assistance, according to Wadephul. The conference drew about a dozen foreign ministers and more than 60 delegations, with the aim of both raising funds and reviving faltering negotiations to end the fighting. The two warring parties were not invited.

Coverage comparison

Reporting on the conference, Deutsche Welle focused on Germany's role and the scale of the humanitarian crisis, noting that the war has entered its fourth year with at least 59,000 people killed, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project (ACLED). The outlet also highlighted that 19 million people face acute hunger, 9 million have been internally displaced, and 4.5 million have fled to neighboring countries.

Al Jazeera's coverage emphasized the international community's perceived failure to address the conflict, leading with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's call for an end to the "nightmare" war. The outlet also reported on Sudan's government's sharp criticism of the conference, quoting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as calling it a "colonial tutelage approach."

Both outlets noted the conference's exclusion of the warring parties — the Sudanese military under Abdel-Fattah Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo — and quoted German officials expressing hope that the pledges would translate into lifesaving aid.

Key claims

  • Donors pledged €1.3 billion in humanitarian aid at the Berlin conference, as reported by Deutsche Welle and confirmed by Al Jazeera. This exceeds the $1 billion raised at the previous year's conference in London.
  • Germany pledged €212 million in new humanitarian assistance, according to Wadephul's announcement, reported by Deutsche Welle.
  • The war has killed at least 59,000 people, according to data from ACLED, cited by Deutsche Welle. The true toll could be much higher, the outlet noted.
  • 19 million people in Sudan are facing acute hunger, and nearly 4.5 million have fled to neighboring countries, per Deutsche Welle's figures. Al Jazeera cited UN Secretary-General Guterres as saying nearly 34 million people inside Sudan need humanitarian assistance.
  • Both outlets quoted Guterres as calling the conflict "a tragic milestone" and urging that "this nightmare must end." He warned that the consequences are "destabilising the wider region."
  • Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the conference as a "colonial tutelage approach," alleging Western nations were trying to impose their agenda without consulting Khartoum. This claim was carried by Al Jazeera; it has not been independently verified by other sources in this coverage.
  • The African Union chairman, Mahmoud Ali Youssou, attended the conference and called for a ceasefire, according to Al Jazeera. This was not mentioned in the Deutsche Welle reports.

Perspectives

The international community, as represented at the Berlin conference, views the pledges as a critical lifeline for millions in Sudan. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said, "This major humanitarian crisis in Africa must not be forgotten," and framed the aid as both a moral obligation and a way to prevent further displacement. He also referenced the need to fill the funding gap left by cuts to US foreign aid under the Trump administration.

The UN's position, articulated by Secretary-General Guterres, underscores the severity of the crisis and the urgency of ending the conflict. His video message stressed regional destabilization and "systematic sexual violence" against women and girls.

Sudan's government, however, rejects the conference's legitimacy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' characterization of the event as a "colonial tutelage approach" reflects frustration over being excluded and not consulted, potentially signaling resistance to externally driven peace efforts.

As the war enters its fourth year, the pledged funds offer a measure of hope, but the exclusion of the warring parties complicates prospects for a negotiated end to the conflict. The coming months will test whether the international community can translate these pledges into effective humanitarian delivery and renewed diplomatic momentum.