UAE Pledges $8 Million To WHO For Humanitarian Efforts In Sudan

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) pledged $8 million to the World Health Organization (WHO) to help address the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

This pledge agreement was signed at WHO headquarters in Geneva to support critical health initiatives in Sudan and improve the challenging living conditions faced by its people.

Sultan Al Shamsi, Assistant Minister for International Development Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented the UAE and signed the agreement with WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday.

The signing took place in the presence of Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs at the WHO headquarters in Geneva. This commitment from the UAE will help fund healthcare infrastructure, emergency response capabilities, and disease prevention programs.

"The work done by the World Health Organization in Sudan is saving lives every day, and we believe it is essential to support this ongoing mission. The UAE and the WHO have a long-standing partnership, which has benefited people in crisis situations throughout the region," Nusseibeh said, according to WAM. "We are committed to standing by the people of Sudan."

"With support from partners and donors, the World Health Organization will continue to support the urgent health needs of the people of Sudan and the refugees in neighboring countries. We thank the UAE for this generous pledge," Ghebreyesus said.

"We must act together to protect the lives of the most vulnerable," he added.

As part of its efforts to help Sudan, the UAE committed $70 million to address urgent humanitarian needs through UN agencies and humanitarian organizations, including $8 million to the WHO.

This pledge is a substantial portion of the $100 million commitment the UAE made in April at the "International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and Neighboring Countries."

With this latest donation, the UAE's aid to Sudan over the past decade totals more than $3.5 billion, reflecting its ongoing support for Sudanese humanitarian efforts.

Aside from this, the UAE and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) signed an agreement for a $20 million contribution from the UAE to support UNHCR's humanitarian operations in Sudan and neighboring countries.