The United States has led an international effort to assist Sudan in the face of a rising humanitarian crisis, with total donor pledges projected to exceed $1.5 billion, including a $500 million commitment from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The offer was made at a donors’ meeting hosted by the United States, which attempted to raise emergency funds and renew diplomatic pressure for a cease-fire.
The UAE team was led by Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh, who hailed the discussion as timely, especially as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan approaches.
Sudan’s civil war, which started in April 2023, has resulted in tremendous misery and loss of life.
Reliable mortality statistics are difficult to verify because to limited access and continuous combat, but US and UN officials estimate that deaths might range from tens of thousands to more than 150,000.
The toll includes not only combat fatalities, but also deaths from malnutrition, disease, and displacement.
By late 2025, more than 12 million Sudanese had been forced to evacuate their homes, making it one of the world’s most severe displacement disasters.
Speaking at the summit, Nusseibeh stated that more than 30 million Sudanese were in need of humanitarian assistance and praised the United States for gathering donors.
She emphasized the UAE’s support for a rapid cease-fire, emphasizing that humanitarian aid should not be politicized or used as a tool of violence.
Massad Boulos, the United States’ special envoy for Africa, said Washington was pushing for a humanitarian truce ahead of Ramadan, which begins on February 17, but noted that progress had been limited thus far.
“We would have hoped to achieve peace much, much earlier,” Boulos said. “We’ve amplified our efforts and yet we haven’t really achieved that much yet, in terms of the humanitarian truce.”
Boulos said the United States expected about $1.5 billion in new funding to be pledged at the event, including an additional $200 million from Washington.
Other participating countries did not make firm commitments.