UAE Signs $5 Million Agreement with UN to Support Sudan Humanitarian Fund
New York, The Gulf Observer: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has signed a significant agreement with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to allocate US$5 million to support the Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF). The agreement was formalized in a special ceremony at the UAE Mission to the UN, attended by Sultan Al Shamsi, Assistant Minister for International Development Affairs, and Edem Wosornu, Director of the Operations and Advocacy Division at OCHA. Also present were Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister for Political Affairs and Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, expressed profound gratitude for the UAE’s support. “We are deeply grateful to the Government and the people of the United Arab Emirates for your generous support of $70 million to help bring relief to the people of Sudan through the United Nations. With this allocation, we can bolster our lifesaving support to families and communities caught up in Sudan’s unprecedented humanitarian crisis,” Griffiths said.
The UAE’s contribution to the Sudan Humanitarian Fund, managed by OCHA, will ensure that critical humanitarian needs and emergencies on the ground are addressed efficiently, in alignment with the annual Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP).
Lana Nusseibeh remarked on the UAE’s longstanding commitment to Sudan, stating, “The UAE’s long-term support to Sudan is a testament to our dedication to fostering a prosperous Sudan and promoting stability in the region. We are pleased to partner with OCHA and other UN agencies to deliver vital aid to those most impacted.”
She reiterated the UAE’s call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and a peaceful resolution to the crisis. “There is no military solution to this war – the parties to the conflict must return to the negotiating table. To that end, the UAE will continue to engage with all relevant stakeholders and support any process that aims to set Sudan on a political path to reach a lasting settlement and achieve a national consensus for forming a government where civilians participate and lead,” Nusseibeh added.
This $5 million contribution to OCHA is part of a broader commitment of $70 million by the UAE to address urgent humanitarian needs in Sudan through various UN agencies and humanitarian organizations. This funding represents a significant portion of the $100 million pledge made by the UAE in April at the ‘International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and Neighbouring Countries’. Over the past decade, the UAE has provided more than $3.5 billion in aid to Sudan.
The UAE emphasizes the importance of protecting civilians and civilian facilities, facilitating humanitarian assistance through multiple routes into the country and across conflict lines, and ensuring the delivery of aid to those most in need, especially the most vulnerable populations.
