Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan leads humanitarian visit to refugee camp in South Sudan

Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the UAE remains unwavering in its support for displaced people who have fled conflict.

He made his comments during a humanitarian tour of the Gorom Refugee Camp in Juba, South Sudan, state news agency Wam reported on Thursday. Also on the tour led by Sheikh Shakhbout were senior South Sudanese officials, high-level delegations from several countries and Birtukan Ayano, Minister of State of Ethiopia.

"Since its founding, humanitarian aid and the protection of civilians, particularly the sick, children, the elderly and women, have served as the foundation of the UAE's policy and approach that prioritises civilians’ requirements and fulfils their needs," he said.

South Sudan split from Sudan in 2011. Civil war followed and a peace deal in 2018 has yet to be fully implemented. A civil war also broke out in Sudan in April, 2023. The UN said last year that Sudan has been world’s largest displacement crisis with at least 11 million displaced.

Earlier this month, the UAE opened a field hospital in South Sudan to help treat vulnerable people most in need. The 100-bed Madhol Field Hospital in the country's Northern Bahr el Ghazal state aims to support those facing challenges in accessing essential services, especially urgent health care and treatment.

During the tour of the refugee camp, Sheikh Shakhbout took the opportunity to emphasise "the UAE’s steadfast and unwavering commitment to support all efforts to address this catastrophic crisis and to work alongside regional and international partners to ensure stability and peace for the Sudanese people".

An example of this took place last month at an aid conference in which the UAE donated a substantial amount of aid. “The UAE announced an additional $200 million of aid during the High-Level Humanitarian Conference for the People of Sudan, held in Addis Ababa," Sheikh Shakhbout said, reported Wam.

"The conference, the first to be held for Sudan this year, will serve as a catalyst for future conferences that are scheduled to assist the people of Sudan. The pledge made during the conference was not merely an announcement but rather a call to the international community for action and participation.”

Since the onset of the crisis, he added, the UAE has provided $600.4 million to support a humanitarian response. Furthermore, the UAE has provided U$3.5 billion of humanitarian aid over the past 10 years, sent 160 aircraft carrying relief aid, and distributed 12,000 tonnes of food, medical, and relief supplies to the people of Sudan.