Sudan Aid Conference in Berlin Receives Criticism, Fails to Produce Meaningful Results

Author: Vera Rousseff

April 22, 2026

HRRC calls for international actors to use all means available to secure a ceasefire in Sudan. We stress that peace negotiations must meaningfully include Sudanese actors and must place substantial pressure on foreign governments, particularly the United Arab Emirates, to stop providing funding, weapons, and other resources that perpetuate the conflict.

Delegates at the Third International Sudan Conference in Berlin, Germany, April 15, 2026. [Image credit: REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen]

On Wednesday, April 15, the third International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan was held in Berlin, Germany to raise funds for those affected by the civil war in Sudan, which is now entering its fourth year. Co-hosted by Germany, the United Kingdom, France, the European Union, the United States, and the African Union, the conference aimed to raise relief funds, discuss peace agreements, and draw international attention to the war. However, despite successfully raising over 1.3 billion Euros (1.53 billion USD) in pledges, the event has received criticism for failing to meaningfully represent Sudanese voices and for including international actors who are driving the conflict.

Despite being the world’s most severe humanitarian emergency, displacing over 13 million people, the war in Sudan has often been overshadowed by other major conflicts, such as those in Ukraine and Gaza. In his remarks during the conference, Tom Fletcher, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, referred to Sudan as “an atrocities laboratory,” pointing to the widespread use of weaponized sexual violence, sieges, denial of food, and the targeting of hospitals and schools.

“I often have to call the families of those who died, and they always ask, did our family members die in vain? And this isn’t just a situation grinding on – it’s getting worse,” Fletcher said. He added that the recent conflict in Iran has further complicated the war in Sudan by driving up the cost of fuel, food, and fertilizer, the latter of which is essential for Sudan’s agricultural economy.

Participants at this year’s conference called for a de-escalation of the conflict and full, unimpeded access to deliver humanitarian assistance throughout the country. The two opposing forces at the center of the war – the official Sudanese military, known as the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – were not invited to participate in the conference. On Wednesday, the SAF-aligned Sudanese government spoke out against its exclusion from the event, referring to the decision as a “surprising ⁠and unacceptable” interference in its internal ​affairs and symbolic of a “colonial tutelage approach.”

This year’s conference also brought together 38 international and Sudanese NGOs, in what it claimed was an effort to spotlight Sudan’s civil society organizations and civilian voices. Nevertheless, some critics have argued that the conference lacked genuine representation and did not meaningfully include key groups. “In contexts like Sudan, there is a real risk of selectively engaging actors who align with external agendas rather than reflecting the diversity and complexity of Sudanese society,” said Sudanese-American commentator Walaa Elsadig. Video footage on social media showed activists gathering outside of the conference to protest the lack of representation.

The conference was also criticized for including international actors who are directly supporting the conflict, most notably the United Arab Emirates, widely believed to be the RSF’s main backer. The RSF has been accused of numerous human rights violations, including committing a genocide in Darfur. Saudi Arabia and Egypt, which back the SAF, also attended the conference. Despite hours of diplomatic efforts, the countries failed to come to an agreement, and the conference concluded without the release of a final joint communiqué. Instead, the host countries issued their own Co-Host Communiqué.

In a statement released after the conference, the humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders stated that “the international Sudan conference in Berlin must go beyond hand-wringing, pledges and declarations” and that “it is time to stop talking and to start taking action.”

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Glossary

• Atrocities: extremely cruel or violent acts, often committed during war.

• Ceasefire: an agreement between groups at war to stop fighting for a period of time.

• Civil society: groups and organizations made up of ordinary people (not the government), such as charities or community groups.

• Colonial tutelage: a situation where a powerful country treats another country as if it needs to be guided or controlled, similar to how colonial powers once ruled other regions.

• Communiqué: an official statement shared with the public, often after a meeting or conference.

• De-escalation: actions taken to reduce tension or violence in a conflict.

• Displaced (people): people who are forced to leave their homes, usually because of war or disaster.

• Diplomacy: the practice of managing relationships between countries, often through negotiation.

• Humanitarian: related to helping people who are suffering, especially during crises.

• Khartoum: the capital city of Sudan. It is also often used as a shorthand for the Sudanese government.

• NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations): organizations that operate independently from governments, often focused on helping people or solving social issues.

• Paramilitary: a group that is organized like a military but is not part of the official army.

• Performative: done mainly to create a certain image or impression, rather than to produce real results or change.

• Perpetuate: to cause something—especially something negative—to continue for a long time.

• Pledges: promises to give support, often money.

• Relief funds: money collected or given to help people affected by disasters, war, or emergencies.

• Representation: the act of speaking or acting on behalf of a group of people.

• Sexual violence: any harmful or unwanted sexual act forced on someone without their consent.

• Siege: when a place is surrounded by forces to cut it off from supplies and force surrender.

• Unimpeded: not blocked or slowed down; able to happen freely without obstacles.