President,

I thank Assistant Secretary-General Martha Pobee and Acting Under-Secretary-General Joyce Msuya for their briefings. I welcome the representative of Sudan to today’s meeting.

Last week, the RSF launched a large scale attack on El Fasher. Since then, the situation on the ground has continued to escalate, leading to large civilian casualties and displacements, which exacerbate the already dire humanitarian crisis in Sudan. We urge the parties concerned to effectively implement the Security Council resolutions and stop besieging and attacking El Fasher. We reiterate our call on the two parties to the conflict to exercise maximum restraint and calm and to take actions to cool down the situation as soon as possible, so as to prevent further escalation of hostilities, which would lead to a wider and more serious catastrophe and destruction.

China has been emphasizing that international humanitarian law is the bottom line that must be observed by all parties, and that civilians and civilian facilities should not become the military targets. It is deplorable that in places including El Fasher, refugee camps, hospitals, and other infrastructure continue to come under fire, and that crimes including looting of humanitarian supplies and sexual violence are frequently being committed. China notes that the Government of Sudan has repeatedly made commitments and taken measures with regard to protecting civilians, and calls on all parties to the conflict to effectively comply with international humanitarian law and to maximize the protection of civilians and the safeguarding of the basic rights of vulnerable groups such as women and children.

President,

Alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Sudan is an urgent task that needs our immediate attention. China appreciates the continued steadfastness of UN humanitarian agencies in an extremely dangerous and difficult environment. We welcome the recent initiatives by the Government to reopen aid routes including Adre and to facilitate the entry of humanitarian workers, and encourage the Government to continue to strengthen its coordination and communication with the UN and provide more support and guarantees for humanitarian operations to be carried out. The international community, especially the traditional donors, must fully appreciate the gravity and urgency of the current humanitarian situation in the country, and provide more financial support to the Sudan humanitarian needs and response plan. At the same time, we must warn against the practice of politicizing humanitarian assistance, which should in no way be used as a tool in meddling in conflicts and seeking selfish gains.

President, t

Te conflict in Sudan has been raging for more than 17 months, and as long as the fighting is still ongoing, there will be no speaking of guaranteeing security for the civilians. The people of Sudan have suffered far too much in this war and have waited far too long for peace to come. China supports all diplomatic efforts for the restoration of peace in Sudan, supports the key role played by the United Nations, the African Union, and regional countries in mediation, and calls on countries with influence on both sides of the conflict to push them to return to the negotiating table and to find a political solution for a lasting ceasefire without delay. We hope that all parties will commit themselves to the respect of sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Sudan, and play their part in bringing an early end to the fighting, alleviating the humanitarian crisis, and achieving regional peace and stability.

Thank you, President.