The Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) has appealed for international cooperation to intensify humanitarian aid efforts in Sudan, where ongoing clashes have left millions displaced and in desperate need of assistance.
Speaking at a press briefing at the foundation’s headquarters in Istanbul’s Fatih district, IHH President Bülent Yıldırım urged people in Türkiye and around the world to show the same compassion for Sudan as they have for Gaza.
“South Sudan was the oil region, and Darfur is rich in gold and uranium. Western powers now want to seize those resources as well,” he said. “I am calling on everyone to send aid to Sudan just as you send it to Gaza. Make no distinction. Our ships will set sail, and we will continue to stand with the Sudanese people.”
Yıldırım said the roots of Sudan’s conflict lie in the struggle over its vast natural wealth and its influence in Africa. He described Sudan as one of the continent’s most significant Muslim nations, a country that championed education, economic development and independence for African states. “Those attacking Sudan are the same powers that target Palestine,” he said. “They want to divide and weaken a nation that represents awareness, progress, and resilience.”
The event brought together Sudan’s Consul General in Istanbul Osama Mahjoub Hassan Dirar, former Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Deputy Secretary-General Ambassador Ata Mannan Bakhit, INSAMER researcher Serhat Orakçı, IHH Strategy Coordinator Faruk Erkılıç, and representatives from Sudanese nongovernmental organizations.
Sharing recent data, Erkılıç said more than 25 million people in Sudan have been directly affected by the conflict, with 11.7 million displaced and 4.2 million forced to flee to neighboring countries. “Through our teams and local partners, we have delivered humanitarian assistance to over 4.6 million people in 15 different states,” he said.
“Community kitchens in Khartoum, Gedaref, el-Fasher and Leyla have served 800,000 hot meals. We have distributed more than 275 tons of red meat and 140,000 food parcels. Eight aid ships carrying 333 containers, equivalent to about 5,000 tons of supplies, have reached 14 regions across Sudan.”
He noted that El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, had been under siege for nearly 560 days and recently fell under the control of the Rapid Support Forces, worsening civilian suffering. “As violence escalates, humanitarian aid is more crucial than ever. Public support plays a decisive role in ensuring aid reaches civilians and in preventing further atrocities,” he said.
Dirar described the situation as a deepening humanitarian tragedy. “The crisis is not only about the visible destruction but also about the collapse of education, health care and food systems,” he said. “The ongoing blockade makes it harder every day to deliver essential supplies. We call on the international community to act swiftly so that humanitarian aid reaches Darfur and other affected regions before it is too late.”
