Delivered By: Mrs. Amiera Al Hefeiti, Deputy Permanent Representative

Madam President, 

At the outset, I would like to thank Ms. Martha Pobee and Ms. Ms. Edem Wosornu for their comprehensive briefing, and I welcome Ambassador Al Harith Mohamed to today’s meeting. 

Madam President, 

This meeting comes more than a hundred days after the outbreak of the fighting in Sudan, which has claimed many innocent lives and inflicted immense suffering on the Sudanese people, as mentioned by our briefers today. It is therefore critical to strengthen diplomatic efforts to end this crisis in all its dimensions.

Accordingly, I would like to emphasize three points:

First, efforts must continue to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation facing millions of Sudanese because of the continued fighting and lack of commitment to previously declared truces. In this context, there is a need to secure food and water supplies as well as health services, as almost half the population is suffering from high levels of food insecurity. Attention must also be paid to the needs of displaced persons and refugees, as those rates are rising sharply, while some neighboring countries are already facing internal challenges. We, therefore, appeal to the international community to provide support to Sudan and neighboring countries during this difficult period, given the level of needs on the ground and the lack of funding received by the UN and its humanitarian partners for this year.

For our part, and as part of our humanitarian solidarity with the Sudanese people, the UAE provided emergency relief assistance, where we recently transported – via sea and an airbridge – more than 2,000 tons of medical and food items to Port Sudan and Chad to support Sudanese refugees. We have also set up a field hospital in Chad and opened a coordination office for UAE aid to support and coordinate humanitarian efforts.

Second, we stress the importance for the parties to adhere to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as the unhindered and safe access of humanitarian personnel and supplies to those in need. At the same time, we reiterate our calls for the importance of the full implementation of the commitments reached in Jeddah.

In this context, we condemn the killing of a number of humanitarian workers in the Sudan and express our concern at reports of attacks against them and the looting and theft of humanitarian facilities. We must remember that 10 days from today — on the nineteenth of this month — we will celebrate World Humanitarian Day, an occasion to pay tribute to humanitarian and relief workers and to do everything possible to protect them and their important work.

Third, the UAE repeats its call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, to work towards a peaceful solution to the crisis, and return to the political track. We stress here the importance of responding to regional and international diplomatic efforts to address the crisis in Sudan. The most recent is this week’s meeting in Chad by the Ministerial Mechanism emanating from the “Summit of Sudan’s neighbors” in Cairo. We also echo our welcome for the Summit’s final communiqué, which stressed the importance of a political solution and dialogue for security and stability. As part of the UAE’s desire for regional and international cooperation to resolve pressing issues, my country also participated in the first meeting of the Quartet of IGAD last month. In this context, we stress the need to intensify this momentum and coordinate all these efforts closely.

In conclusion, the UAE continues to reaffirm its continued solidarity with the Sudanese people during these difficult circumstances, including by supporting all efforts aimed at ending this crisis.

Thank you, Madam President.