UAE Aid Agency Signs Health Support Agreement With International Medical Corps UK For Sudan

The UAE Aid Agency has agreed to fund urgent healthcare support for civilians affected by the worsening conflict in Sudan, signing a cooperation agreement with International Medical Corps – UK. The partnership targets communities hit by recent violence, with a focus on displaced families, women-headed households and unaccompanied children.

Under the agreement, the UAE Aid Agency will contribute US$2,000,000 to the International Medical Corps project titled "Emergency Response to the Crisis in Sudan". This funding is intended to help reduce illness and deaths among conflict-affected groups by expanding access to basic health, nutrition and related services in hard‑to‑reach areas.

The signing ceremony took place at the Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, attended by Dr. Tareq Al Ameri, Chairman of the UAE Aid Agency. The agreement was formally signed by Rashid Al Shamsi, Executive Director of Logistics at UAE Aid Agency, and David Eastman, Managing Director of International Medical Corps – UK.

Dr. Al Ameri linked the agreement to the scale of the renewed violence in Sudan, stressing the pressure on civilians. According to Dr. Al Ameri, the escalation has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, many of them survivors of violence and families led by women or children who have limited access to care.

Dr. Al Ameri stated, "This marks the continuation of the UAE’s concerted efforts to improve the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan, for which the country has so far spent $784 million since the beginning of the conflict two and a half years ago," he elaborated.

The project will centre on three Mobile Health and Nutrition Teams operated by International Medical Corps, one of which will be run through a local partner. These teams will deliver outpatient consultations, maternal and child healthcare, immunisation, nutrition screening and treatment, and community outreach for disease prevention and early identification of malnutrition.

Alongside mobile services, the programme will work to improve referral links for emergency obstetric care and GBV services. It will also provide essential medicines, nutrition supplies and trucked safe water to settlements of internally displaced persons, with priority given to households headed by women and children facing heightened vulnerability.

Distribution of non‑food items is also planned under the UAE Aid Agency-supported initiative. International Medical Corps will supply hygiene and dignity kits, kitchen sets, blankets and other basic household goods. These items aim to ease living conditions for the most vulnerable displaced families and support a measure of dignity amid ongoing displacement and insecurity.

Outlining the broader context, Eastman underlined the need for sustained backing from donors such as the UAE Aid Agency. Eastman stated, "The needs in Sudan and its neighbouring countries are immense, and for families affected by years of conflict, access to basic healthcare can be a matter of survival. International Medical Corps values its partnership with the UAE Aid Agency to support vulnerable communities impacted by the recent conflict. Having worked in Sudan for two decades, International Medical Corps remains committed to providing principled, life-saving health services in close coordination with authorities and humanitarian partners."

The agreement between the UAE Aid Agency and International Medical Corps – UK adds targeted health and nutrition capacity to Sudan’s strained humanitarian response. By combining mobile medical teams, strengthened referrals, essential supplies and basic household support, the project is intended to address immediate survival needs among displaced and conflict-affected people while complementing wider relief operations in the country.

With inputs from WAM