UN: World Humanitarian Summit to be held in Istanbul May 23

The United Nations Secretary-General is holding the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit 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, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a press release.

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 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 Ms 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.”

The Summit features include: opening and closing plenaries and ceremonies, a leaders’ segment, a Summit Announcement Plenary, seven High-Level Leaders’ Roundtables and 15 Special Sessions. In addition, a number of side events, an Exhibition Fair and an Innovation Marketplace will also take place. 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.

In 2015, the international community contributed US$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.

Source: MENA