International donors pledged nearly USD 1.5 bn in humanitarian aid for Sudan at an event co-hosted by Egypt alongside the UN, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the African Union and the EU yesterday, Reuters reports citing UN aid chief Martin Griffiths. The money was pledged by Germany (EUR 200 mn), the US (USD 171 mn), and Qatar (USD 50 mn) among others, Griffiths said, without clarifying whether all the funding was new or giving a timeline for its disbursal.

The money covers around half of the sum the UN says is needed this year for humanitarian support within the country and for the refugee crisis it sparked. “The funds pledged today fail to meet the urgency of the situation,” said David Macdonald, CARE country director for Sudan.

Egypt and Qatar have launched a joint aid initiative to Sudan, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told the event in a speech delivered via video link, without giving further details.

The latest on the ground: A 72-hour ceasefire that began on Sunday morning appears to be holding relatively well, Reuters reports, though people in Khartoum say there has been a surge in looting over the past two days.

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