UAE pledges $500 million to address humanitarian needs in Sudan

Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates has pledged $500 million to support urgent humanitarian needs in Sudan, reaffirming its steadfast commitment to ensuring life-saving assistance reaches civilians affected by the devastating civil war.

The announcement was made during the Sudan Donors Conference hosted by the United States, where Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Minister of State, led the UAE delegation.

During the conference, the UAE expressed deep appreciation to the United States for convening the event at a critical time and for continuing to highlight the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan, particularly as the holy month of Ramadan approaches.

Nusseibeh said: “We commend President Trump’s leadership in supporting a Sudan that is peaceful, united, and stable.” She added: “Today, more than 30 million Sudanese — over half the country’s population — require humanitarian assistance. To help meet these needs, and alongside the generous pledge from the United States, the UAE is committing US$500 million to address urgent humanitarian requirements in Sudan. This contribution reflects our unwavering commitment to ensuring that essential, life-saving support reaches civilians affected by this devastating civil war.”

Nusseibeh also praised the outstanding efforts of Tom Fletcher, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at OCHA, in supporting the Sudanese people, as well as the collective efforts undertaken through the Quad group.

She reiterated the Quad’s principled position — one the UAE has upheld since the crisis began — that Sudan’s future must be determined by its people. Achieving this, she said, requires a permanent ceasefire and a credible transitional process led by an inclusive civilian government fully independent from the warring parties and extremist groups, including those affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.

The UAE reaffirmed its support for an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian organisations to deliver aid across Sudan. Nusseibeh stressed that humanitarian assistance must not be politicised or weaponised and underscored the importance of allocating humanitarian and development programmes for women and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.

She also emphasized the UAE’s enduring commitment to Sudan, noting that the country has provided more than $4.24 billion in assistance to Sudan over the past decade, including $800 million in humanitarian aid since 2023.

Following the conference, Nusseibeh participated in a Quad meeting with Massad Boulos, Senior Advisor to the US President on Arab and Middle Eastern Affairs, alongside representatives from Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

This pledge provides strong momentum for international efforts aimed at containing one of the region’s most complex humanitarian crises and reflects the UAE’s approach of early action and large-scale support.

By November 2025, UAE assistance to Sudan over the period 2015–2025 reached approximately $4.24 billion, spanning humanitarian relief, development, health, education, and infrastructure.

Since the outbreak of war in April 2023, the UAE alone has provided $784 million to support the Sudanese people, primarily through partnerships with the United Nations and international organisations to ensure neutral and safe delivery of aid.

The scale and diversity of assistance reflect a comprehensive UAE vision for addressing Sudan’s crisis — covering both internal and cross-border dimensions while balancing emergency relief with support for vital sectors.

The UAE has reinforced its international engagement on Sudan, including a $200 million pledge at the High-Level Humanitarian Conference in Addis Ababa in February 2025 and an additional $100 million announced during a UN Security Council meeting in October 2025 to support humanitarian operations in El Fasher in cooperation with UN agencies and partners.

Working through international NGOs and UN agencies, the UAE has dispatched 162 aircraft and vessels carrying thousands of tonnes of food and medical supplies to Sudan. These efforts included the delivery of 800 tonnes of urgent food aid to displaced populations in El Fasher.

UAE assistance has also reached neighbouring states hosting Sudanese refugees. The UAE delivered 5,542 tonnes of food and relief supplies to Chad, drilled five wells to provide drinking water, sent 200 tonnes of aid and supported 11 health facilities in Uganda, and provided 300 tonnes of food supplies to South Sudan as part of a regional humanitarian response.

In March 2025, the UAE established three field hospitals serving Sudanese refugees — Madol Hospital in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, South Sudan, and two hospitals in Amdjarass and Abéché, Chad — which have treated more than 90,000 cases combined. The UAE has also supported 127 health facilities across 14 Sudanese states in coordination with the World Health Organization and other UN agencies.

The UAE allocated $70 million to UN organisations operating inside Sudan, including WFP, UNHCR, WHO, UNICEF, FAO, and OCHA, in addition to $30 million to support neighbouring countries hosting Sudanese refugees.

As part of efforts to protect vulnerable groups, the UAE earmarked $10.25 million to support Sudanese refugee women through WHO, UNFPA, the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund, and UNHCR. The UAE also supported the education sector in partnership with UNICEF by rehabilitating schools in Chad and South Sudan and funding education programmes for Sudanese refugee children.

This comprehensive and structured approach underscores the UAE’s humanitarian role through coordinated international action, ensuring aid reaches those in need and alleviating the suffering of Sudanese civilians during one of the most challenging periods in their modern history.