The United States, alongside the United Arab Emirates and key international players, urged Sudan’s warring sides to pause fighting for humanitarian aid. In a joint statement on Wednesday, the group condemned the “continuous deterioration” of Sudan’s humanitarian situation, citing severe malnutrition and famine.
The statement highlighted urgent crises in North Darfur and Kordofan, where civilians are increasingly trapped without access to life-saving aid. The countries called on both sides to allow humanitarian pauses and ease barriers preventing civilians from fleeing conflict zones.
“International humanitarian law must be fully respected,” the statement stressed, underlining the global community’s concern for civilian safety. Sudan has been engulfed in violence since April 2023, when General Abdel Fattah al Burhan’s army clashed with the rival Rapid Support Forces.
Nearly 25 million Sudanese face dire hunger, with millions cut off from essential aid, the United Nations reported earlier this year. Other signatories of the statement included Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the African Union, and the United Nations, all key diplomatic actors. The plea comes as the United States faces criticism over its support for Israel amid Gaza’s own mounting humanitarian crisis.
