France to host humanitarian conference for Sudan

France is to host a humanitarian conference to provide aid to Sudan in April, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said on Wednesday.

France is to host a humanitarian conference to provide aid to Sudan in April, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said on Wednesday.

“We will host a humanitarian conference in Paris on April 15 for Sudan and neighbouring countries to help resolve this dramatic humanitarian crisis,” he told the lower house of parliament, without providing more details.

“It should not become a forgotten crisis.”

A conflict broke out in April last year between Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, his former deputy and commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.  The conflict led to the deaths of thousands of people so far and sparked a humanitarian disaster.

According to the UN, at least 25 million people, more than half the population, need aid, including nearly 18 million who face acute food insecurity.

The fighting has also caused 1.6 million people to flee abroad, many to neighbouring Chad and Egypt. The organization says another 6.1 million are now homeless.