Beyond emergency relief: UAE’s humanitarian response to Sudan’s protracted crisis
The UAE’s humanitarian response to Sudan combines emergency relief, healthcare support, refugee assistance and diplomatic efforts. However, lasting recovery requires more than helping people survive the war; it means restoring livelihoods, essential services and hope for a future beyond humanitarian assistance, writes Dr Innocent Elum Afen
Dr Innocent Elum Afen. (File)
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OPINION
By Dr Innocent Elum Afen
The Sudanese crisis raises an important question about the role of states in responding to protracted conflicts: Is emergency assistance sufficient to save those affected, or does an effective response require sustaining essential services, supporting refugees, and working towards an end to the conflict?
The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) humanitarian response to the Sudanese crisis offers a model worthy of examination. Its approach encompasses humanitarian funding, food and medical assistance, the establishment of field hospitals, support for host communities, and diplomatic efforts.
A crisis beyond Sudan’s borders
Since the outbreak of the conflict in April 2023, humanitarian conditions have deteriorated sharply. According to UNICEF (2026), approximately 33.7 million people, including 17.3 million children, require humanitarian assistance. The consequences of the war have also extended to neighbouring countries, which face growing pressure on healthcare, food supplies, and water services due to the influx of refugees. 0772536915
The UAE pledged $100m at the Paris Humanitarian Conference in April 2024, allocating $70m to support humanitarian operations inside Sudan through international organisations and $30m to assist refugees in neighbouring countries.
In September 2024, the UAE announced that it had dispatched 159 relief flights carrying approximately 10,000 tonnes of food and medical supplies since the outbreak of the war. These efforts were complemented by a ship transporting around 1,000 tonnes of urgently needed supplies.
Its response also extended to healthcare through the establishment of two field hospitals in Amdjarass and Abéché, Chad, which had provided medical services to more than 46,000 people by September 2024. In March 2025, the UAE opened the 100-bed Madhol Field Hospital in South Sudan to serve refugees, returnees, and local communities.
Protecting vulnerable groups and host communities
In September 2024, the UAE allocated $10.25m to support Sudanese refugee women in Chad. The funding covered maternal and child healthcare, protection against violence, and initiatives aimed at strengthening social cohesion.
These initiatives reflect an approach that combines meeting immediate humanitarian needs with strengthening the capacity of host communities to cope with the pressures of displacement.
Diplomacy and sustainable recovery
Humanitarian assistance alone cannot end suffering while the fighting continues. Against this backdrop, the UAE participated in the Geneva talks in August 2024 as part of the Aligned for Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan (ALPS) initiative, which sought to facilitate humanitarian access and protect civilians.
In September 2025, the UAE also participated in proposing an international roadmap that called for a three-month humanitarian truce, followed by a permanent ceasefire and a transition towards civilian governance. Although the war continues, these diplomatic initiatives underscore the importance of linking humanitarian responses with political efforts to resolve the conflict.
Toward sustainable recovery
The UAE’s humanitarian response combines financial assistance, emergency relief, healthcare, refugee support, and diplomacy. However, its success depends on sustainability and the ability to deliver meaningful improvements in the lives of affected populations. Restoring dignity and hope in Sudan means more than helping people survive the war. It requires enabling them to regain security, rebuild livelihoods, restore access to essential services, and shape a future beyond emergency humanitarian assistance.
The writer is a doctor of philosophy in counselling psychology and works with the Catholic University of Eastern Africa