The pledge was announced at a U.S.-hosted donors’ conference aimed at mobilising emergency funding and renewing diplomatic pressure for a ceasefire.
The UAE delegation was led by Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh, who described the meeting as coming at a critical moment, particularly with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan approaching.
A war with devastating human costs
Sudan’s civil war, which began in April 2023, has caused widespread suffering and loss of life.
Reliable casualty figures remain difficult to verify because of restricted access and ongoing fighting, but U.S. and United Nations officials estimate that deaths may range from tens of thousands to more than 150,000.
The toll includes not only combat-related fatalities but also deaths linked to starvation, disease and displacement.
By late 2025, more than 12 million Sudanese had been forced to flee their homes, making it one of the world’s largest displacement crises.
Diplomatic push ahead of Ramadan
Speaking at the conference, Nusseibeh said more than 30 million Sudanese were in need of humanitarian support and thanked the United States for convening donors.
She reiterated the UAE’s support for an immediate ceasefire, stressing that humanitarian assistance must not be politicised or used as a tool of conflict.
U.S. special envoy for Africa Massad Boulos said Washington was pushing for a humanitarian truce ahead of Ramadan, which begins on February 17, but acknowledged limited progress so 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.
Allegations and geopolitical stakes
Sudan has accused the United Arab Emirates of arming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a charge the Gulf state denies.
However, U.N. experts and U.S. lawmakers have previously said the allegations are credible.
The UAE rejects the claims, saying it has provided more than $4.24 billion in assistance to Sudan over the past decade, including nearly $800 million in humanitarian aid since 2023, and insists its engagement is humanitarian in nature.
Geopolitical and strategic motivations of the U.S. and UAE
U.S. officials say Washington’s involvement reflects concerns about regional instability, humanitarian suffering and Sudan’s strategic location near the Red Sea and key global trade routes.
The United States has sanctioned individuals linked to the RSF and continues to call for a civilian-led transition in Sudan.
The UAE’s engagement is also shaped by broader geostrategic interests, including Red Sea security, regional influence and the protection of trade corridors vital to Gulf and global commerce.
Following the conference, officials from the United States, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt met under a Quad framework to discuss humanitarian access and political pathways to end the conflict, though Sudan’s warring parties have yet to agree to a temporary truce.
