UAE Pledges $5 Million To FAO For Agricultural Support In Sudan

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has formalised a significant agreement with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) to address the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and avert the looming risk of famine. The agreement was signed by Sultan Al Shamsi, Assistant Minister for International Development Affairs, and Guangzhou Qu, Director of the FAO Liaison Office in New York, at a ceremony held at the UAE Mission to the UN in New York.

Present at the event were Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister for Political Affairs and Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. The UAE has committed US$5 million to fund the FAO project titled ‘Mitigating Famine in Sudan – Support to Conflict-Affected Vulnerable Smallholder Farming and Pastoralist Households’.

The FAO project aims to provide emergency crop, livestock, and veterinary assistance to 275,000 vulnerable smallholder farmer and pastoralist households, benefiting approximately 1,375,000 individuals over one year. Specifically, it will offer emergency livelihood support to 155,000 smallholder farmer households, impacting around 775,000 people.

Additionally, the project seeks to reduce livestock losses through prophylactic vaccination against transboundary animal diseases and deworming. This initiative targets 2 million heads of animals, benefiting approximately 600,000 individuals. At least 25 percent of these beneficiaries are women-headed households.

Lana Nusseibeh emphasised the importance of this initiative: "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 can mitigate this risk and enhance the resilience of vulnerable farming and pastoralist communities."

She added that women and girls face a disproportionate impact from conflict, which is why the UAE’s contribution includes a specific focus on female-headed households. "This initiative not only addresses immediate needs but also contributes to sustainable development and long-term stability," she said.

AbdulHakim Elwaer, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa, expressed gratitude for the UAE’s contribution. "We are grateful for the generous contribution from the UAE, which will significantly enhance our efforts to improve food and nutrition security in Sudan," he stated.

Impact on FAO Humanitarian Response Plan

Elwaer highlighted that this support is crucial to achieving the FAO Humanitarian Response Plan 2024 objectives. These objectives include reaching out to 1.8 million households and ensuring direct livelihoods for 9 million people in Sudan. The contribution will also aid in food production for the wider population.

This funding is part of UAE’s $70 million commitment announced in April at the ‘International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and Neighbouring Countries’. The commitment aims to support UN agencies and humanitarian organisations in alleviating the severe humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

With inputs from WAM