The UAE on Wednesday pledged $15 million to the UN's refugee agency to support its humanitarian efforts in Sudan and neighbouring countries.
The UAE will seek to bolster protection and assistance programmes for civilians in Sudan, who are bearing the brunt of a civil war which has been raging since April 2023.
The conflict between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) has claimed an estimated 150,000 lives since 2023 and led to more than 12 million people being displaced. It has also led to famine and accusations of war crimes.
The Emirates announced the vital funding during the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Pledging Conference for its 2026 global appeal, held in Geneva.
Helping the needy
Jamal Al Musharakh, the UAE's Permanent Representative to the UN and other International Organisations in Geneva, underlined the Emirates' commitment to assisting refugees and internally displaced people – those who are forced to leave their homes but remain within their country – all over the world.
Mr Al Musharakh said global displacement had reached unprecedented levels, driven by conflict, persecution and climate-related challenges. The official highlighted the severe humanitarian crises in Sudan, South Sudan and the Sahel, as well as in Myanmar and Ukraine.
He emphasised the heightened vulnerability of women, children and other at-risk groups, who require targeted support in conflict zones.
Mr Al Musharakh said the Emirates was determined to deliver crucial support through its UAE Aid agency in co-ordination with UNHCR and other partners. Refugees and the internally displaced "are individuals with dignity and have the right to live in safety and hope”, he added.
Show of solidarity
The UAE has provided $784 million in aid to the Sudanese people since the civil war broke out, making the country its second-largest donor after the US.
The total value of aid provided by the UAE to the Sudanese people between 2015 and 2025 has exceeded $4.24 billion.
Lana Nusseibeh, Minister of State and UAE Envoy to the EU, last week welcomed the European Parliament’s commitment to ending the Sudan war.
She said the UAE remained aligned with regional and international partners in backing a road map to peace endorsed by fellow Quad countries Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the US.
She repeated the UAE’s call for an immediate ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian access across Sudan. "A unified regional and international effort is essential to ending the atrocities in Sudan," she said. "The time for action is now."
The UNHCR Pledging Conference is an annual event held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, bringing together member states to announce voluntary contributions to support the global humanitarian response for the year ahead.
