Today's Edition
NEW YORK (WAM)
The UAE signed an agreement with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to provide emergency food assistance to populations affected by the crisis in Sudan and South Sudan.
This includes refugees, host communities, internally displaced people, and returnees impacted by the war.
The agreement, formalised between the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and WFP, was signed on the behalf of the UAE by Assistant Minister for International Development Affairs, Sultan Al Shamsi, and on behalf of WFP by Director of Washington Office, Matthew Nims, and in the presence of Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs, Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, and Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, at a special ceremony at the UAE Mission to the UN in New York.
17.7 million people in Sudan and 7.1 million in South Sudan facing acute food insecurity as a result of war in Sudan.
To help alleviate this crisis, UAE has committed a total of $25 million in aid: $20 million for Sudan and $5 million for South Sudan.
Executive Director of the WFP, Cindy McCain, said, “WFP welcomes all pledges towards our lifesaving food operations in Sudan. With this contribution, we will be able to assist vulnerable people who are at risk of sliding into famine.”
This contribution is part of UAE’s $70 million commitment announced in April at the “International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and Neighbouring Countries” to UN agencies and humanitarian organisations to alleviate the severe humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
Nusseibeh stated, "With widespread hunger in Sudan and neighbouring countries, our partnership with WFP will assist those most vulnerable facing the devastating ramifications of this war. We cannot allow another famine to unfold in Sudan. The long-term impacts of famine, particularly on children, are incalculable. This is a call to action to halt famine in its tracks."
