ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s United Nations Ambassador Munir Akram this week raised alarm at the Security Council over the worsening food security situation in Sudan, urging both warring parties to agree to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire as civil war in the African country rages on.
The UN-backed Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) published a report last month outlining famine in five areas, including in Sudan’s largest displacement camp, Zamzam, in North Darfur province. The IPC’s report also warned that famine will likely spread to another five areas— Um Kadadah, Melit, el-Fasher, Tawisha and Al-Lait, by May 2025.
Sudanese people have suffered due to a 20-month war between the army and a paramilitary group that has killed over 24,000 and driven over 14 million people from their homes, according to the UN. An estimated 3.2 million Sudanese have crossed into neighboring countries, including Chad, Egypt and South Sudan, to escape the horrors of the conflict. 
Akram said on Monday that Pakistan was “deeply grieved” by the current ordeal of the people in Sudan by the war. 
“We call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire,” Akram said. “The parties need to find a sustainable political resolution to the conflict through dialogue. It will not be resolved on the battlefield. War will only bring more death and destruction for the Sudanese people.”
He said that the worsening food security situation in the country is “alarming,” noting that over 24.6 million people in Sudan face high levels of acute food insecurity.
“We have reviewed the 24th December report of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC),” he said. “We note that the Sudanese government has questioned the IPC’s malnutrition data and assessment and its ability to collect data from conflict zones and those controlled by the Rapid Security Forces. These views need to be taken into account.”
The Pakistani envoy urged the international community to work with the Sudanese government in addressing the humanitarian crisis in the country, calling on Sudanese authorities to facilitate the delivery of aid to the needy.
“We appreciate the recent steps taken by the Sudanese authorities in opening additional air, sea and land borders for humanitarian aid and extending the Adre border crossing, which has brought some improvement in the humanitarian situation,” Akram noted. 
The Pakistani ambassador called on the international community to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and bridge the 36 percent funding gap for humanitarian appeals relating to Sudan. 
“The international community must unite to support a common vision for return to peace and normalcy in Sudan,” he said. “Foreign interference in the internal conflict of Sudan must stop. The UNSC arms embargo on Sudan must be respected.”
As the war reached its peak in April 2023, Pakistan joined other countries in evacuating its nationals from Sudan, rescuing about 1,000 people from the African nation.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has called for timely policy measures to address the country’s key economic, energy and industrial needs, state-run media reported this week, as Islamabad attempts to steer the nation toward sustainable economic growth. 
The finance minister was chairing a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), the cabinet’s top economic body, which was attended by senior ministers, officials and federal secretaries of various government departments, when he stressed on need for policy measures. 
Pakistan has sought to ward off a prolonged economic crisis by attracting foreign investment in its vital sectors and undertaking long-term financial reforms concerning loss-making state-owned enterprises, energy and tax sectors. 
“Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday emphasized the importance of timely policy measures to address critical economic, energy and industrial needs, with a focus on transparency and efficiency in implementation,” the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Monday. 
The ECC reviewed and approved a technical grant of Rs1.945 billion [$7.002 million] for the Ministry of Defense and Rs5.276 million [$18,993.60] for the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), to support the commission’s efforts in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in Pakistan.
The ECC also considered and approved a proposal from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for a technical supplementary grant of Rs 2,462.302 million [$8,864,287.2] to facilitate the execution of 15 projects under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for fiscal year 2024-25, the APP said.
Pakistan has registered some economic gains in the past few months, with inflation slowing to 4.1 percent in December 2024 and its stock market experiencing a bullish trend for the past couple of weeks. It has signed investment agreements from foreign countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Central Asian states to ensure sustainable economic growth. 
In October 2024, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) valued at $2.8 billion. In December, Sharif’s office confirmed that seven of the 34 MoUs had been converted into agreements worth $560 million.
Pakistan has also attempted to privatize its state-owned enterprises which have accumulated losses in the billions, including its national flag bearer, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). It failed in its attempt last year to sell the airline, attracting just one bid of Rs10 billion ($36 million) for a 60 percent stake.