The UAE announced a $30 million emergency humanitarian response for civilians trapped in El Obeid, North Kordofan, Sudan, under the directives of President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as conditions in the besieged city continue to deteriorate amid an RSF advance that the UN has warned risks mass atrocities.
The assistance will be delivered through the UAE Aid Agency in cooperation with the United Nations and its partners, targeting urgent needs including food, healthcare, safe drinking water and shelter for civilians and displaced persons. The announcement brings the UAE’s total humanitarian assistance to Sudan to approximately $800 million since the war began in April 2023.
Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of State, said the focus must remain on protecting civilians, enabling safe humanitarian corridors and responding to the urgent needs of the most vulnerable groups including children, women, the elderly and the sick.
The UAE called on all parties to the conflict to comply with international humanitarian law, avoid escalating violence in populated areas and ensure unhindered aid delivery. It reiterated there is no military solution to Sudan’s crisis and stressed the need for a civilian-led political process to achieve lasting peace.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk said civilians have endured siege-like conditions for 18 months, while drone strikes, fuel shortages and attacks on infrastructure have made it increasingly difficult for people to access water, food, transport and medical care.
