Geneva: Shahad Matar, Deputy Permanent Representative and Acting Charge d'Affaires at the Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva, participated in the joint launch by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) of the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Sudan and the Regional Refugee Response Plan for Sudan.
According to Emirates News Agency, Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, noted that two years of conflict in Sudan have resulted in one of the largest and most severe displacement crises in the world. The United Nations has prepared its largest-ever humanitarian appeal for Sudan, with a total funding requirement of USD 6 billion. Under-Secretary-General Fletcher highlighted the initial success of the conference in Addis Ababa, which served as a crucial precursor to Geneva's meeting, describing the crisis as unprecedented in scale and severity.
Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, expressed appreciation for the financial commitments made during the conference, emphasizing the importance of translating pledges into real action.
During the joint launch of UNHCR and OCHA's humanitarian response plans for Sudan, Matar underscored that the event took place at a pivotal moment on the margins of the African Union Summit in the Ethiopian capital. She noted that the UAE, alongside the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the African Union, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in coordination with the United Nations, organized a high-level humanitarian conference for the People of Sudan.
In this context, she emphasized that the collective message from the Addis Ababa conference was clear: launching a strong and unified call for a humanitarian truce during the holy month of Ramadan-a time for peace and, most importantly, the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance to all Sudanese in need.
She added that the UAE announced the provision of an additional USD 200 million of aid to the Sudanese people during the High-Level Humanitarian Conference for the People of Sudan. The additional aid reflects the UAE's commitment to stand in solidarity with the Sudanese people amid a deteriorating humanitarian situation. The UAE has provided US$600.4 million to support a humanitarian response since the onset of the crisis, including US$200 million announced during the conference in Addis Ababa. Over the past 10 years, the UAE has contributed US$3.5 billion of humanitarian aid to the people of Sudan.
She concluded her remarks by stating the necessity to mobilize the international community toward a unified and decisive humanitarian response, as Sudan cannot afford further delays. The UAE reiterated its call for all parties to ensure the safe, urgent, and unhindered access of essential humanitarian aid, considering it an obligation under international humanitarian law.