The UAE and the UN's refugee agency on Wednesday finalised a $20 million aid package to deliver crucial humanitarian support in Sudan and neighbouring countries.
The financial assistance aims to improve the living conditions and safety of displaced people and refugees amid bloody civil conflict in the African country which has raged for well over a year.
The agreement was formally made between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees at the UNHCR headquarters in Geneva.
The funds will be used to bolster shelter, health care and basic services for thousands of people in Sudan and South Sudan.
“Together, we can make a significant impact on the ground in Sudan, providing relief and hope to the most vulnerable. We remain steadfast in standing with the people of Sudan during this crisis,” said Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs.
The UNHCR said such relief provided an essential lifeline to civilians facing a worsening humanitarian crisis.
“The people of Sudan are enduring the dreadful consequences of this brutal war and need urgent support,” said Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
“State contributions are essential in providing much-needed life-saving humanitarian assistance to vulnerable people in Sudan forced to flee.”
$8m to boost health drive
The UAE on Wednesday pledged a further $8 million to the World Health Organisation to fund its initiatives in Sudan.
The agreement was signed at the WHO headquarters, also in Geneva.
“With support from partners and donors, the World Health Organisation will continue to support the urgent health needs of the people of Sudan and the refugees in neighbouring countries," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director general.
"We thank the UAE for this generous pledge. We must act together to protect the lives of the most vulnerable.”
Abdalla Hamdok, former prime minister of Sudan, has called for urgent action in the country, where more than 25 million face famine and hunger, nearly 10 million are internally displaced and there is “suffering beyond imagination”.
In an exclusive interview with The National, Mr Hamdok, chairman of the Co-ordination of Civilian Democratic Forces (Taqaddum), warned that “people could die from hunger and starvation more than from bullets”.
He also spoke about “so many battles all over the country” as the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces wage war.
UAE delivers key support
The UAE and the UN's World Food Programme signed an agreement on Sunday to provide emergency food assistance to people affected by the conflict in Sudan and its effects on neighbouring South Sudan.
Beneficiaries will include refugees, host communities, internally displaced people and returnees affected by the war, said state news agency Wam.
About 17.7 million people in Sudan and 7.1 million in South Sudan face acute food insecurity as a result of war in Sudan. In this initiative, the UAE has committed $25 million: $20 million for Sudan and $5 million for South Sudan.
This came after the UAE signed two agreements on Saturday to address the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, the first $10 million of the allotted $70 million from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The first $5 million commitment, agreed with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN, is intended to avert famine.
A second agreement, to support the Sudan Humanitarian Fund, will bolster aid supplies given to families and communities caught up in the civil war.
The contributions come as part of the ministry's allocation of the $100 million commitment made by the UAE in April.
Last week, the Foreign Ministry announced 70 per cent of the fund would be allocated to UN agencies and humanitarian organisations.
The FAO fund will be directed to a project called Mitigating Famine in Sudan – Support to Conflict-Affected Vulnerable Smallholder Farming and Pastoralist Households.
Running for one year, it will provide emergency crop, livestock and veterinary assistance to 275,000 smallholder farmer households, benefitting about 1.3 million people.
It aims to offer 155,000 vulnerable smallholder farmer households and another 775,000 people emergency livelihood support. The project also aims to reduce livestock losses through the vaccination of two million animals.
The Sudan Humanitarian Fund contribution, meanwhile, will assist with access to funds to address humanitarian needs and emergencies – including aid supplies and medical equipment.
“We are grateful for the generous contribution from the UAE, which will significantly enhance our efforts to improve food and nutrition security in Sudan,” said Abdul Hakim Elwaer, FAO assistant director general and regional representative for the Middle East and North Africa.
“We are committed to making a tangible difference in the lives of the people we serve, and this contribution brings us one step closer to our goal in Sudan.”
Relief aid provided by the UAE has reached $150 million, which includes medical, food and relief supplies, Wam reported.
The UAE has also established a field hospital in Abeche in Chad, at a cost of $20 million, the second hospital it has opened to support Sudanese refugees.
The Sudanese civil war has led to the largest displacement crisis in the world, with more than nine million people forced to flee.
The war in Sudan – in pictures
