The Estonian government has decided to contribute €50,000 to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Sudan, a country in northeastern Africa.
On the initiative of Germany and in cooperation with the United Nations, the European Union and Sudan, a high-level partnership conference on Sudan was held on 26 June. Estonia participated as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
The aim of the Berlin-led video conference was to raise international support for the political transition of Sudan. In the framework of the conference, Estonia decided to contribute €50,000 through the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Sudan, the Estonian foreign ministry announced.
In September 2019, peaceful protests in Sudan led to the removal of its then president, Omar al-Bashir, and Sudan has subsequently been ruled by a transitional government. But the situation in the country of 43 million is dire – 9.3 million people need humanitarian assistance.
“Continued international support and attention are essential for the situation in Sudan to improve. Estonia has decided to support the provision of humanitarian aid in Sudan, and we can also offer advice on reforms,” Paul Teesalu, the political affairs’ undersecretary of the Estonian foreign ministry, said in a statement.
The ministry added that Estonia also supported diplomatic efforts to remove Sudan from the United States’ list of states sponsoring terrorism.
By land area, Sudan is the third-largest country in both Africa and in the Arab world. According to the International Monetary Fund, by per capita income, Sudan is 148th in the world.
Cover: A Sudanese boy with his mum. Photo by Wadi Lissa, courtesy of Unsplash.
