Qatari Minister Lulwah Al Khater upon her arrival at Port Sudan Airport yesterday, Saturday (Qatari Foreign Ministry)

Qatari Minister of International Cooperation Lulwah Al Khater announced a humanitarian air bridge from the State of Qatar to Sudan throughout the month of Ramadan, reaffirming her country’s position towards Sudan and its people in support of its unity, security and stability.

The Qatari minister wrote - in a post on the X platform - that her visit to Sudan on Saturday comes “to remind the world that seems to have forgotten what this ancient and great country and its dear and generous people are going through of a devastating human tragedy.”

She explained that the State of Qatar took several practical steps, as it resumed the humanitarian air bridge with Sudan to carry food, shelter tents, and ambulances throughout the month of Ramadan.

She pointed out that this bridge had begun last year under the directives of the Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to deliver humanitarian support and evacuate Sudanese to Qatar.

She added that the food baskets campaign was launched between the Qatar Fund for Development and Qatar Charity, which includes 50,000 baskets, of which 20,000 have already been distributed.

Today's visit to #Sudan comes to remind the world that seems to have forgotten the devastating human tragedy that this ancient and great country and its dear and generous people are going through.

We also renew the firm position of the State of Qatar towards brotherly Sudan and the dear Sudanese people in support of their unity, security, stability and the aspirations of their people.

The State of Qatar did this… pic.twitter.com/9ub056INKI

- Lolwah Alkhater Lolwah Alkhater (@Lolwah_Alkhater) March 9, 2024

The Qatari Minister of International Cooperation stated that her country pledged last year to allocate $50 million for relief in Sudan, and is proceeding with various campaigns and projects in this regard. She also urged all donor countries that announced their pledges last May worth $1.5 billion to work hard to fulfill these goals. Pledges and not to use the current logistical and security difficulties as an excuse to abandon them.

The battles have been taking place in Sudan since April 2023 between the army forces led by the President of the Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces led by Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), who was Vice-President of the Sovereignty Council, and have left thousands dead, including up to 15,000 dead in the city of One in the Darfur region (west of the country), according to estimates by experts from the United Nations. The fighting also led to the displacement of more than 10 million Sudanese, including those displaced within the country and refugees to neighboring countries.

Minister Lulwah Al Khater visits a medical center in Port Sudan (Qatari Foreign Ministry)

Nearly 18 million people across Sudan suffer from acute hunger, and more than 5 million people face emergency levels of hunger in areas most affected by the conflict.

Minister Lulwa Al Khater said that during her visit to Port Sudan, she met with representatives of UN and international institutions in Sudan to find out the latest developments and urge them to remind the international community of its duties towards the largest forced displacement crisis the world is witnessing today.

She stressed that the security and stability of Sudan is part of the security and stability of the Arab region and Africa, calling for the concerted public to find an urgent peaceful solution to the ongoing fighting, provide safe humanitarian corridors, and stop targeting food and medicine storage and supply chains.

Source: Al Jazeera