A Chinese envoy to the United Nations on Tuesday called for greater international efforts to address the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and a political solution to the ongoing armed conflict.
The Sudan conflict has been going on for nearly 16 months, resulting in mass civilian casualties and displacement and a worsening humanitarian crisis, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, in remarks at the UN Security Council briefing on humanitarian issues in Sudan.
It is the strong desire of the Sudanese people and urgent expectation of the international community to promote the de-escalation of the situation, properly tackle humanitarian challenges, and restore peace at an early date, Dai said.
Facing "unprecedented humanitarian challenges", Dai called on the international community to increase their focus and input, promptly deliver on their aid commitments, and take substantive measures to help alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe.
China supports the UN humanitarian agencies in stepping up their efforts to this end, welcomes the Sudanese government to open multiple humanitarian crossings and airports to facilitate humanitarian relief operations, and supports the Sudanese government to continue to cooperate with the United Nations, said the envoy.
"International humanitarian actions should strengthen coordination with Sudanese authorities, strictly abide by the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, while avoiding politicization of humanitarian efforts. The discussion of humanitarian assistance and access issues should be truly committed to saving lives, and no one should use aid and food security as tools to impose pressure and sanctions," said Dai at the Security Council briefing.
Stressing that the humanitarian action and political settlement should be promoted simultaneously, Dai said that bringing parties to the conflict back to talks for achieving a ceasefire as soon as possible is the fundamental way to ease the humanitarian crisis.
China calls on parties concerned to fulfill obligations under the international humanitarian law, minimize the harm to civilians, do their most to protect farmland, water conservancy and other agricultural infrastructure, and promote the restoration of agricultural production.
China supports the UN in maintaining contact with all parties and promoting the mediation parties to strengthen overall coordination and form synergy to achieve an early political settlement of the Sudan issue.
Chinese envoy calls for more humanitarian aid, political solution to Sudan conflict
