ISLAMABAD: Pakistan called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan on Wednesday, stressing the need for a political resolution to the nearly two-year conflict that has displaced about 12 million people, roughly a quarter of the African state’s population.
Hostilities in Sudan erupted in April 2023 due to a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), escalating into a full-scale civil war. The fighting has caused a severe humanitarian crisis, with millions facing acute hunger and displacement.
Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, urged all parties to implement an unconditional ceasefire and engaging in dialogue for a sustainable political resolution during a Security Council briefing.
“We call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire during the holy month of Ramadan,” Jadoon told the world body. “Both parties must respect the inviolability of human life during this blessed month.”
Jadoon reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to Sudan’s unity, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as he condemned attempts to establish parallel governments, warning that such actions threatened to further fragment the country.
Highlighting the dire humanitarian situation, he mentioned the acute hunger and food insecurity affecting millions, noting the crisis could have serious repercussions beyond Sudan’s borders.
He called for urgent international action, noting that over 24.6 million people face acute food insecurity while commending the Sudanese government’s efforts to open additional air, sea and land borders for humanitarian assistance.
The Pakistani diplomat also demanded an end to violations of international humanitarian law, emphasizing the need for the full implementation of the Jeddah Declaration on the Protection of Civilians, which was agreed upon by both warring parties.
“We reiterate our condemnation of Rapid Support Forces (RSF)’s attack on the only functioning hospital in the besieged El-Fasher, the Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital, which took more than 70 innocent lives,” he said, referring to the targeting of the medical facility last month.
Jadoon stressed the importance of a comprehensive and inclusive political process to address Sudan’s multidimensional challenges.
He called on the UN to explore ways to support the Sudanese government’s proposed political roadmap as part of a broader peace initiative.
Pakistan calls for immediate ceasefire in Sudan during Ramadan, urges political resolution
https://arab.news/n3h6u
Pakistan calls for immediate ceasefire in Sudan during Ramadan, urges political resolution
- Pakistani diplomat at UN condemns attack on Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital that killed more than 70
- He warns against attempts to establish parallel governments in Sudan, saying it will fragment the country
Pakistan to launch first national anti-polio drive of 2026 today to vaccinate millions
- Pakistani health volunteers will aim to vaccinate over 45 million children from Feb. 2-8, reports state media
- Pakistan reported 31 polio cases last year, which were significantly lower than the 74 cases it reported in 2024
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani health authorities will launch the year’s first national anti-polio drive today, Monday, to vaccinate over 45 million children against the virus, state media reported as Islamabad aims to eliminate the disease.
Eliminating poliovirus remains a critical health initiative of Pakistan, which along with Afghanistan, is one of only two countries worldwide where the virus is endemic. Pakistan reported 31 cases of polio in 2025, which authorities say is a significant decline from the alarming 74 cases of the disease it reported in 2024.
Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq announced last month that the anti-polio vaccination campaign will be conducted across the country from Feb. 2 to 8, during which over 45 million children under the age of five will be targeted. She said a total of 400,000 trained health volunteers will go door-to-door to administer polio drops to children.
“A varied duration anti-polio campaign in Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will begin from tomorrow [Monday],” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Sunday.
The National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC), in an earlier statement, said six national polio campaigns were conducted across the country in 2025. The NEOC urged parents to fully cooperate with polio teams and ensure their children receive polio drops.
Polio workers and their security escorts have repeatedly been targeted in militant attacks, particularly in parts of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan provinces, complicating efforts to vaccinate children in remote areas.
A gun attack targeting a polio vaccination team in Pakistan’s northwestern Bajaur district in December 2025 left one police constable and a civilian dead.
Natural disasters, such as floods, have also disrupted vaccination campaigns in recent years.
