Committee publication · Correspondence · 2 June 2026
Correspondence from the Minister of State for International Development & Africa relating to the Government’s response to the situation in Sudan, 28 May 2026
Summary
Baroness Chapman responds to the International Development Committee's questions about the UK Government's response to Sudan's humanitarian crisis. She outlines the outcomes of the International Sudan Conference in Berlin (April 2026), including £146 million in new UK funding, over £1 billion in pledged humanitarian support, endorsement of the Berlin Principles for conflict resolution, and ongoing diplomatic efforts toward a ceasefire. The letter emphasises sustained international coordination and the need for continued pressure on warring parties.
Key findings
- UK announced £146 million in new funding to Sudan, more than doubling support to local Sudanese responders, aid groups, human rights defenders, and women-led organisations.
- International Sudan Conference in Berlin secured over £1 billion in humanitarian pledges from co-hosts (Germany, France, US, African Union, EU) and international partners.
- Nearly 40 political and civilian actors agreed a joint declaration calling for an end to the war and advancement of a Sudanese-owned, civilian-led transition.
- All conference participants endorsed the Berlin Principles—12 guiding principles affirming Sudan's sovereignty, rejecting military solutions, and calling for immediate humanitarian truce followed by sustained ceasefire.
- UK continues to work through UN Security Council (as penholder on Sudan), UN Human Rights Council leadership, and G7 seat to press warring parties toward negotiations and remove barriers to humanitarian access.
Tone
FactualTopics
Key actors
Baroness Chapman of Darlington, Sarah Champion, Foreign Secretary, UN Secretary General Personal Envoy Pekka Haavisto, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Denise Brown, African Union, European Union
Notable line
“… funding alone cannot solve this manmade crisis. That is why, at the conference, the Foreign Secretary urgently pushed for an immediate ceasefire”
Key Quotes
“The International Sudan Conference in Berlin was a timely and important opportunity to refocus global attention on what remains the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century.”
“During the conference, the Foreign Secretary announced that the UK is providing £146 million in new funding to Sudan, which will reach almost 2 million people with life-saving aid.”
“The Berlin principles establish a clearer and more unified framework for international action. They reaffirm Sudan's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity , underscore that there can be no military solution and call for an immediate humanitarian truce, followed by a sustained ceasefire and an inclusive, civilian-led transition.”
“There is still no agreement between the warring parties on steps towards a ceasefire. Humanitarian access remains severely constrained in many areas …”
“Through our role at the UN Security Council (UNSC) as penholder on Sudan, as leader for the core group at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), and our seat at the G7, we are pushing for a single, coordinated international effort to press the parties to engage meaningfully in negotiations and to remove …”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗