The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has availed $5m (Ksh 640m) to help Sudan address humanitarian crisis and prevent the imminent risk of famine.
The funds which will be utilized through Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations will provide emergency crop, livestock, and veterinary assistance to 275,000 vulnerable smallholder farmer and pastoralist households and in turn benefit at least 1,375,000 individuals.
“We must do everything in our power to halt a famine in Sudan. That is what this contribution aims to achieve. Providing emergency agricultural support, which will benefit around 1,375,000 people, can mitigate this risk and enhances the resilience of vulnerable farming and pastoralist communities,” said Lana Nusseibeh, UAE Assistant Minister for Political Affairs and Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Through the one year programme, FAO says the project will also offer 155,000 vulnerable smallholder farmer households, approximately 775,000 individuals, with emergency livelihood support.
“This support is crucial to the FAO Humanitarian Response Plan 2024 objectives of reaching out to 1.8 million households, ensuring direct livelihoods for 9 million people in Sudan, and contributing to food production for the wider population.
We are committed to making a tangible difference in the lives of the people we serve, and this contribution brings us one step closer to our goal in Sudan,” said AbdulHakim Elwaer, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa.
Additionally, the project aims to reduce livestock losses through prophylactic vaccination against transboundary animal diseases and deworming, targeting 2 million heads of animals, benefiting approximately 600,000 individuals, with at least 25pc being women-headed households.
“Women and girls face a disproportionate impact of the grave threat that conflict poses, which is why the UAE is ensuring that this contribution also includes a specific focus on female-headed households. This initiative not only addresses the immediate needs in Sudan, but contributes to sustainable development and long-term stability,” added Nusseibeh.
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.
