António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on Thursday urged world leaders to fund a $6 billion appeal to support humanitarian and refugee response plans for Sudan and neighboring countries and called for an immediate ceasefire and protection for civilians.

Guterres said the UN system and partner organizations will launch the 2025 Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan and the 2025 Sudan Refugee Response Plan, which together require 6,000,000,000 US dollars to support close to 21,000,000 people inside Sudan and up to 5,000,000 people displaced primarily as refugees in neighboring countries. “These UN coordinated appeals far exceed any we have launched for Sudan and for the region,” he said.

The nut graf: The appeal highlights what the secretary-general described as an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Sudan that is spilling into the wider region, with large numbers of internally displaced people and refugees hosted by neighboring states. Guterres stressed that rapid, safe and sustained humanitarian access must be facilitated and that arms flows enabling civilian destruction must stop.

Guterres praised local responders and civil society, including women-led organizations, for continuing to provide assistance often at great personal risk. “Civilians, including humanitarian workers, must be protected,” he said, and he urged the international community to support life-saving aid and press for respect for international law. He also said his personal envoy is engaging with the warring parties to advance a ceasefire and the full implementation of the Jeddah Declaration.

The secretary-general singled out countries hosting large numbers of refugees, saying he wanted to “once again send those countries generously hosting 3,300,000 Sudanese refugees despite their own very difficult challenges.” He called the military crisis “the worst time for peace, compassion, giving and solidarity” with Ramadan approaching and appealed to attendees to use their leverage “for good.”

Guterres closed by reiterating urgency: “We must do more and do more now to help the people of Sudan out of this nightmare, and I thank you.” The conference program later announced the departure of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Kenyan President William Ruto and the secretary-general.

No formal pledges or votes were recorded in the provided transcript excerpt. The speech focused on appeals for funding, protection of civilians, and diplomatic pressure to achieve a ceasefire and ensure humanitarian access.