President, 

I thank Ms. Edem Wosornu of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and Mr. Stephen Omollo of the World Food Program for their briefings. I welcome the presence of the representative of Sudan at today's meeting.

The conflict in Sudan has dragged on for 16 months. The large number of civilian casualties and displacements caused by the fighting as well as the ever-worsening humanitarian crisis are truly worrisome. It is the strong desire of the Sudanese people and the urgent expectation of the international community that the situation be cooled down as soon as possible, that humanitarian challenges be properly addressed, and that peace can return at an early date. In light of the theme of today’s discussion, I would like to make three points.

First, humanitarian assistance should be stepped up. Having studied the relevant report recently issued by the IPC famine review committee, we register hereby our serious concern about the humanitarian situation in Sudan, especially the prominent food crisis as mentioned in the report. In the face of unprecedented humanitarian challenges, the international community should continue to increase its attention and investment, fulfill its aid commitments in a timely manner, and effectively help alleviate the current humanitarian crisis. At the same time, development partners should also increase their support for Sudan in livelihood security and economic development, help Sudan enhance its capacity, stabilize its economy, and work to mitigate the impact on the economy and people’s livelihoods.

Second, we should ensure the smooth conduct of humanitarian assistance operations. It is imperative that all efforts be made to deal with the dire humanitarian crisis, and it is vital to ensure humanitarian access, so that food, water, and other aid materials can be quickly delivered to every Sudanese in need. China supports the United Nations humanitarian agencies in their efforts to that end, and welcomes the opening of a number of humanitarian border crossings and airports by the Government of Sudan as well as its cooperation with the United Nations in the area of humanitarian assistance. 

International humanitarian operations should strengthen coordination with the Sudanese authorities, abide by the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, and avoid politicizing humanitarian actions. Discussions on humanitarian assistance and access should be genuinely committed to saving lives, and humanitarian assistance and food security should not be used as a tool for pressure and sanctions.

Third, humanitarian issues and a political solution should be synchronized. Pushing the parties to the conflict to return to dialogue and negotiation and to realize a ceasefire as soon as possible is the fundamental way to alleviate the humanitarian crisis. We call on the parties to the conflict to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law, to avoid harming civilians to the maximum extent possible, and to make every effort to protect the agricultural land, water conservancy, and other agricultural infrastructure, and promote the resumption of their agriculture production as soon as possible. As we speak, many international mediators are busy at work. We support the UN in continuing to maintain contact with all relevant parties and in promoting greater coordination and synergy among the various mediating parties, with a view to facilitating an early political solution to the Sudanese issue. Together with the international community, China stands ready to continue to make positive efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, stop the fighting, and achieve lasting peace.

Thank you, President.