On 18 May, the AUPSC convened its 1155th open session to discuss ‘Humanitarian Action in Africa’. The meeting, which was chaired by Ambassador Rebecca Amuge Otengo, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Uganda and Chairperson of the AUPSC for the month of May, received briefings from the AU Director for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, Professor Julio Rakotonirina, representing AU PAPS Commissioner Bankole Adeoye, the SRSG to the AU and Head of UNOAU as well as the representative of the World Food Programme (WFP).

In her remarks, Ambassador Otengo asserted that Africa’s humanitarian needs were enormous and alarming, and stressed that conflict and insecurity were at the root of Africa’s humanitarian crises. She commended the AU’s efforts and support of international partners in addressing the continent’s humanitarian needs and acknowledged the milestone Malabo Declaration and the adoption of the Statutes of the Africa Humanitarian Agency (AHA) in February 2023. She called on the AUPSC to engage the international community for support to facilitate the AHA’s operationalization. Subsequent interventions underscored action for conflict prevention and to comprehensively address the root causes of conflict in Africa and strengthen good governance, inclusivity, human rights and justice.

In his statement, the SRSG to the AU and Head of UNOAU, highlighted the significant shifts in the humanitarian landscape in the last few years marked by the increase in humanitarian needs with a corresponding rise in financial requirements. In this regard, he called on the humanitarian community to do more to prioritize the humanitarian situation in Africa by reversing the dwindling commitments as evidenced by the limited funding. He emphasized the need to strengthen partnerships with development organizations and International Financial Institutions towards sustainable solutions to humanitarian assistance. Further, he called upon AU Member States to adhere to a norms-based approach, with respect to international humanitarian and human rights law. Reiterating the UN’s position on the situation in Sudan, he stated ‘the conflict must stop, parties must respect the rules of war consistent with international humanitarian law and ensure unfettered humanitarian access and protection of civilians (POC)’.