World Humanitarian Summit to be held in Istanbul this month

The United Nations Secretary-General is holding the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) on 23-24 May in Istanbul, Turkey. The Summit will bring the global community together to reaffirm their solidarity with people affected by crises and their collective commitment to humanity.

An estimated 5,000 global and local leaders from government, business and civil society, among others, are expected to announce concrete actions and commitments to end conflict, alleviate suffering and reduce risk. The Summit will also serve as a platform to exchange experiences and showcase innovations and best practices.

The government of Sudan has been invited to attend the WHS and the exact composition of the Sudanese delegation to the Summit – from the Government of Sudan and civil society will be communicated in the coming days, according to the latest humanitarian bulletin by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

“The World Humanitarian Summit is a valuable opportunity for international solidarity to halt the terrible suffering of people affected all over the world by conflict and disaster,” said Marta Ruedas, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan. “For Sudan, this means increasing the resilience of men, women and children and strengthening local and national capacities, while also providing relief to the thousands affected by conflict and malnutrition.”

In 2015, the international community contributed $600 million to Sudan as part of the Humanitarian Response Plan to address humanitarian needs across the country. During the year the United Nations and partners, in collaboration with the Government of Sudan, provided 3.3 million people with food assistance, including 1.8 million displaced people in Darfur. In addition 1.6m people were given access to clean drinking water, 8.6m children were vaccinated against measles and nearly 1 million children were assisted through school feeding programmes.

A New Agenda for Humanity

The Secretary-General’s call to change builds on a three-year consultation process, which reached over 23,000 people in 153 countries, including Sudan. As a result, he has called on world leaders from all sectors of government and society to uphold five core responsibilities:

• Prevent and end conflict
• Respect rules of war
• Leave no one behind
• Working differently to end need
• Invest in Humanity

The Agenda for Humanity lays out the key actions that are needed to deliver on the five core responsibilities. Delivering on them is a moral imperative and a strategic necessity to confront today’s global challenges. The Summit is expected to generate the political will to take forward the Agenda for Humanity and to result in a set of concrete commitments in support of this Agenda.