Malaysia calls for global attention to Sudan crisis at conference

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 – Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has called on the international community to address Sudan’s humanitarian crisis, with over 11 million internally displaced persons and 18 million people, or 37 per cent of the population, facing severe hunger.

During his closing speech at the  “Sudan – The Forgotten War” conference on Monday, held at the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies, Mohamad highlighted the severe and underreported humanitarian challenges facing Sudan, emphasising the need for immediate global action. 

“The humanitarian crisis in Sudan is one of the most severe and underreported tragedies of our time. Despite having the largest internally displaced population in the world, it remains largely overlooked,” he said. 

He said that the Sudanese civil war is not merely a distant conflict but a humanitarian crisis that demands the attention of the global community, emphasising the need for thoughtful and compassionate action to effectively address it.

Mohamad stressed the importance of both short-term relief and long-term solutions to address the crisis, advocating for dialogue and mediation involving a neutral third party to facilitate a fair resolution to the ongoing conflict.

The conference was attended by distinguished guests, including Sudan’s acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Hussein Awad Ali, who provided a platform to discuss the root causes of the Sudanese civil war and to explore political and security developments in the region. 

Since mid-April 2023, an estimated 7.3 million people have been displaced within Sudan, with children comprising half of this number. The conflict has resulted in widespread devastation, with the population facing a severe lack of food, shelter, and medical care.