Port Sudan, Jan. 22, 2026 (SUNA) – The Secretariat-General of the National Population Council met with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Country Representative to discuss resuming cooperation and supporting population programmes in Sudan. The meeting took place at the UNFPA headquarters in Port Sudan. Acting Secretary-General Dr. Buthaina Hussein Mohamed underscored the need to reactivate the Council’s role in addressing the war’s adverse effects on the population, particularly vulnerable groups. She highlighted the loss of the Council’s assets and stressed the importance of strengthening international partnerships for the next phase of work.The UNFPA Country Director reaffirmed that the Council is a strategic partner, noting that the Fund’s current interventions focus on gender-based violence, maternal mortality reduction, population dynamics, and youth empowerment, despite funding constraints primarily directed toward humanitarian efforts.The Council outlined its 2026 proposals, which include updating the National Population Policy, producing a State of the Population report, conducting outreach programmes on displacement and migration, and fostering partnerships with universities and civil society organizations, at an estimated cost of approximately two million dollars.Both parties agreed to identify priority programs for implementation this year and to prepare long-term projects for presentation to donors in the coming years.FA/BH