UAE Commits to Humanitarian Aid to Address the Crisis in Sudan
70% of Abu Dhabi's pledge during its participation in the International Humanitarian Conference on Sudan meetings, amounting to 100 million US dollars, is allocated to key partners from United Nations agencies
The UAE continues to provide humanitarian aid to the Sudanese people, reaffirming its steadfast stance in supporting peace and stability despite false allegations made against it by army leaders. As one of the main contributors to humanitarian aid to Sudan and Africa, the UAE allocated 70% of its pledge announced last April during its participation in the International Humanitarian Conference on Sudan meetings, amounting to 100 million US dollars, to UN agencies and humanitarian organizations.
In a statement on Monday, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the support would go to key partners from UN agencies, including the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Health Organization (WHO). The ministry added that this support ensures a comprehensive approach to addressing the humanitarian crisis and mitigating the worsening famine in Sudan.
The statement continued, “The approach adopted by the UAE includes providing all types of aid, especially food and health assistance, protecting women and children, and providing means of livelihood and emergency shelters, confirming their commitment to addressing various aspects of the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.”
Fighting erupted between the Sudanese army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo in mid-April 2023, after weeks of tension between the two parties. Since then, the UAE has continuously called for dialogue and peace and supported regional and international efforts in this regard.
Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, stated that the UAE had provided 130 million dollars since the beginning of the Sudanese crisis to support the humanitarian response and had delivered 9,500 tons of food and medical supplies through 148 aid flights, in addition to a ship carrying about 1,000 tons of emergency supplies.
The minister reaffirmed the UAE’s position calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Sudan and to find a peaceful solution to the crisis through a return to the political process. She called for prioritizing wisdom and reason, and intensifying collective and joint efforts to end the conflict and enhance security and stability in Sudan.
This position confirms that the UAE’s commitment to its humanitarian pledges has not been affected by the misleading accusations made against Abu Dhabi by the Sovereignty Council. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it had sent a letter to the Security Council on April 21, noting that “spreading false information and misleading narratives a year after the conflict in Sudan aims to evade responsibility and undermine international efforts to address the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.”
The ministry added that “the UAE has affirmed its commitment to supporting a peaceful solution to the conflict in Sudan and continuing to work with all concerned parties to support any initiative aiming to put Sudan on the political track to achieve a lasting resolution and national consensus to form a civilian-led government.”
The UAE’s ambassador to the United Nations, Mohammed Abushahab, addressed a letter to the current President of the Security Council, Malta’s ambassador Vanessa Frazier, rejecting outright “the allegations made by Sudan’s representative during the Security Council session No. 9611 on April 19, 2024, under the agenda item (Reports of the Secretary-General on Sudan and South Sudan), which are baseless,” according to the letter.
He stated that “these allegations contradict the strong fraternal relations between our two countries and, unfortunately, appear to be an attempt to distract from the conflict and the deteriorating humanitarian situation due to the ongoing fighting.”
The UAE ambassador asserted that “all allegations of the UAE’s involvement in any form of aggression or destabilization in Sudan, or its provision of any military, logistical, financial, or political support to any faction in Sudan, are unfounded and lack credible evidence to support them.”
He added, “Since the conflict erupted in Sudan, the UAE has always expressed its firm belief that there is no military solution to the conflict, and we are extremely concerned about the parties’ failure to respond to repeated calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities or efforts to find a sustainable solution through dialogue, including the recent call by the Security Council in resolution 2724 (2024).”
“Despite numerous calls from regional actors and the international community, the parties to the conflict have continued to prolong the hostilities, causing indescribable suffering to the Sudanese people and threatening to destabilize the entire region.”
The UAE has actively engaged with the parties in Sudan and relevant stakeholders, including the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the African Union. They supported talks in Jeddah and Manama, participated in the International Humanitarian Conference on Sudan and Neighboring Countries recently held in Paris, and joined the Declaration of Principles issued to advance peace initiatives for Sudan. They pledged 100 million US dollars to support humanitarian efforts in Sudan and neighboring countries.
Sudan’s representative called on the United Nations Security Council during its session on April 19 to “officially condemn the UAE” and urge it to “stop providing military equipment to the Rapid Support Forces and funding fighters.”
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The UAE Responds and Contributes to Easing the Sudan Crisis
On March 29, Sudan’s representative submitted an official complaint to the Security Council against the UAE, accusing it of “planning to ignite the war and supporting the Rapid Support Forces with the help of Chad,” according to the complaint.
