International community must shoulder its responsibilities to end Sudan's crisis: Ambassador to Netherlands
She called for a future for Sudan based on firm foundations of peace and justice, through a political consensus that leads to the establishment of an independent civilian leadership free from military dominance.
In an interview with the Emirates News Agency (WAM) today in The Hague, AlHefeiti said, 'In light of this catastrophic and bloody humanitarian crisis, it is imperative that the international community takes swift and decisive action to end the suffering and create conditions for a genuine path towards peace.
"The international community must shoulder its responsibilities and pressure both parties to the conflict to accept diplomatic solutions. The Sudanese Armed Forces must be compelled to stop evading their obligations to peace and the serious efforts to end the war, which continues to escalate with no regard for the scale of suffering that has crossed every line.'
She added that the Sudanese Armed Forces continue to deny responsibility for this tragic disaster and instead resort to deceptive tactics to blame others for the destruction, displacement and tragedies they have caused, pursuing a path that will only lead to the disintegration of Sudan and its transformation into a failed state.
AlHefeiti affirmed that the UAE's position has been firm from the very beginning of this devastating conflict, calling for an immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire and for the warring parties to enter negotiations with sincere intentions. 'From the outset, we made it clear—and now, more than two years of killing and destruction have proven it to be an undeniable truth—there is no military solution to this conflict. The only way to achieve peace, stability and security is through a political solution that reflects the will of the Sudanese people,' she said.
In response to a question on humanitarian aid provided by the UAE to the Sudanese people, AlHefeiti affirmed the UAE's deep-rooted and principled commitment—based on fraternal, ethical and Arab values—to supporting the Sudanese people. She emphasised that this support predates the current crisis, with the UAE being one of Sudan's strongest partners in development across all sectors.
Over the past decade, the UAE has provided more than US$3.5 billion in aid, and since the onset of the conflict, more than $600 million in humanitarian assistance, including $200 million pledged during the High-Level Humanitarian Conference for Sudan held in Addis Ababa in February, the first such event in 2025 to set the course for further support conferences.
When asked about the Sudanese Armed Forces' campaign to distort the UAE's humanitarian role, AlHefeiti responded that the UAE would not be distracted by such fabrications or attacks from its core mission, which is alleviating the humanitarian disaster in Sudan caused by the Sudanese military.
'Their continued denial of responsibility shows blatant disregard for the suffering of the Sudanese people. Yet the UAE, as it has always done, stands with the brotherly Sudanese people until peace is restored and Sudan regains its rightful place as a stable, sovereign and leading nation that contributes to regional and international stability,' she concluded.
Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sharjah 24
an hour ago
- Sharjah 24
Arab Parliament for the Child prepares for second session
Youth-led leadership and preparations His Excellency Al Barout welcomed the board, praising their active contributions and the strong presence of the Parliament's president, deputies, and committee heads. Among the attendees were Elyas bin Awadh Al Ma'ani (Oman), Abdullah Yousif Bujeiri (Bahrain), Mai Jalal Abdulaziz (Palestine), Rabia Ibrahim Abu Rumman (Jordan), and Nasser bin Talal Al Husseini (Oman). The meeting focused on planning the upcoming session, centred on strengthening cultural identity and Arab belonging among children, while also reviewing proposals to enhance parliamentary procedures and encourage members' engagement in discussions and activities. Parliamentary development and media initiatives His Excellency Al Barout stressed the board's responsibility in representing Arab children and called for sustained communication and active idea-sharing. The meeting also celebrated the release of a new issue of The Young Parliamentarian magazine, a platform for children's voices and parliamentary updates. Progress in the Child Parliamentarian Diploma was also highlighted, having gained wide interest and strengthened participants' knowledge and skills. Review of previous terms and future outlook The board reviewed past sessions, events, and discussions—including collaborations with Sharjah's Children and Youth Shura Council—and reaffirmed the importance of continuing such initiatives to develop children's awareness and societal engagement. Emphasis was placed on prioritising children's mental well-being in future sessions and incorporating related themes into discussions and awareness programmes through specialised workshops. Committee work and upcoming international participation The meeting concluded by confirming the continued remote work of the Child Rights and Activities Committees and coordination among members to deliver impactful initiatives. The Parliament is also preparing for its participation in the upcoming International Government Communication Forum in Sharjah—a key platform for sharing experiences and engaging young leaders.
The National
3 hours ago
- The National
Paris to host Syria talks on integrating Kurds
Syria, France and the US said they agreed on Friday to convene "as soon as possible" talks in Paris to integrate the autonomous Kurdish administration into the Syrian state. The Kurds, who control large swathes of north-east Syria, are negotiating with the central government in Damascus on the integration of their civil and military institutions into the state. Those include the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The three countries agreed to 'host as soon as possible the next round of consultations in Paris between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces regarding the full implementation of the March 10 agreement ', according to a joint statement. The statement was issued after a Friday meeting in Paris between French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani. In March, Syria 's government reached a deal with the SDF to integrate the group into state institutions. The deal was signed between Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara and the head of the SDF, Mazloum Abdi. Damascus had previously accused the SDF of delays in implementing a March deal to integrate into the country's armed forces, warning that inaction would undermine stability. Several rounds of talks have been held but the process has stalled, with Kurdish officials criticising a constitutional declaration announced by the new authorities, saying it failed to reflect Syria's diversity. A meeting was set to take place in Paris on Thursday between Kurdish representatives and a Syrian government delegation, but it was postponed. Mr Barrot held a phone call on Friday with the Mr Abdi, Paris said, to "confirm the upcoming negotiations session". Damascus insists on reunifying the country at any cost and demands that the Kurds hand over their weapons. But this week, the SDF said it is 'impossible' to lay down their arms amid a flurry of sectarian violence in the country. An outbreak of fierce fighting in the south of Syria, with troops sent to quell unrest involving Bedouin tribes and the Druze minority, has cast further doubt on Mr Al Shara's efforts to hold Syria together. And under pressure from Washington, Syria has mounted raids against members of ISIS as the extremist group threatens to stage a resurgence. 'In light of the continuing tensions in Syria, the escalating violence, and the threat of ISIS, it is impossible for our forces to surrender their weapons,' Kurdish media quoted SDF spokesman Abjar Daoud as saying.
Middle East Eye
12 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
'A distraction': Unrwa says Israeli and GHF claims over UN aid delivery are baseless
The United Nations Reliefs and Work Agency (Unrwa) has hit back at a smear campaign launched by Israel and the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) accusing the UN of failing to deliver aid and being responsible for the mass famine underway in Gaza. In a video placed by the Israeli Government Advertising Agency, a narrator is heard saying: "While Israel cleared hundreds of trucks that crossed into Gaza, the UN refuses to distribute the aid. These trucks stand idle inside Gaza next to growing stockpiles of supplies. This is deliberate sabotage by the UN." The video then shows dozens of immobile trucks. Juliette Touma, director of communications at Unrwa, debunked the claims that trucks were sitting "idle" in Gaza, and aid within the enclave had not been delivered. "We have 6,000 trucks stuck in Jordan and Egypt full of food and medicines," Touma told Middle East Eye. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "They have not been given the green light to get into Gaza where people are starving." Separately, the GHF chairman, evangelical Christian minister Reverend Johnnie Moore, wrote a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday and to the Under-Secretary General of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Tom Fletcher, on Tuesday, saying he wanted to collaborate with the UN and accused the UN of leaving aid abandoned in Gaza. In the letter addressed to Guterres, Moore wrote that he wished to collaborate with the UN. "The time has come to confront, without euphemism or delay, the structural failure of aid delivery in Gaza, and to course-correct decisively," he wrote. 'We have 6,000 trucks stuck in Jordan and Egypt full of food and medicines. They have not been given the green light to get into Gaza where people are starving' - Juliette Touma, Unrwa Moore said the "crisis was driven by the ability to deliver the food directly to those who need it. The UN's continued reliance on what it has termed 'existing infrastructure' has, in practice enabled the obstruction of aid". Moore blamed the failure of food delivery to civilians on the "manipulation of humanitarian flows by bad actors" without identifying who the "bad actors" were. He called on the UN to work directly with GHF to deliver "food at scale". In a letter to Fletcher, he accused the UN of leaving aid sitting around and failing to deliver it. Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, also accused OCHA of being a "propaganda machine" against Israel, which he said purposely undercounts aid trucks heading into Gaza. The campaign comes as mass famine reaches critical levels with two million people on the brink of starvation in the enclave. 'A distraction to the inaction' Touma from Unrwa said that aid had been waiting to enter Gaza since 2 March. On 18 March, Israel abruptly ended the ceasefire that had been in place since 19 January, and has maintained a blockade on the Strip. Touma said there had to be "political will" for UN teams to enter, and added that the smears against the UN were "nothing new" and were distracting from the real issue: people starving in Gaza. "Distractions like these will delay actions that are needed. Children and adults are dying of starvation. Because of this scam of a distribution system [GHF], more than 1,000 starving people have been killed. "It's time to lift the siege, let aid in and release the hostages. It's time to allow Unrwa to do its work. There will be irreversible consequences if we do not." She advocated returning to the existing infrastructure in place managed by Unrwa. Unrwa has been banned from the occupied West Bank and Gaza since October. Children in Gaza show signs of malnutrition and abuse after detention in Israel Read More » She added that there was "a lot of manipulation of information" and called on media organisations to verify the videos being sent. "The media gets fixated on information that one side to the conflict is putting out. That's a distraction from the atrocities including the deliberate starvation of Palestinian people. "It's time for the media to verify these videos and geolocate the trucks and whether these videos are from Gaza or not, and when they were actually stationed there." Unrwa's Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on Thursday that the mass starvation was "constructed and deliberate". In a statement, he said that GHF's flawed distribution system is not designed to address the humanitarian crisis. "It's serving military and political objectives. It's cruel as it takes more lives than it saves lives. Israel controls all aspects of humanitarian access, whether outside or within Gaza." He also said that airdrops – which Israel had approved – were "the most expensive and inefficient way to deliver aid". "It is a distraction to the inaction," he added. Starvation More than 100 humanitarian organisations warned on Wednesday that "mass famine" was spreading in the Gaza Strip after Israel blocked humanitarian aid from entering in early March and has been providing woefully inadequate aid via the controversial GHF since the end of May. MEE reported on Tuesday that renowned expert on famine, Professor Alex de Waal, accused Israel of "genocidal starvation" of Palestinians in Gaza with its continued deadly siege on the enclave. 'Because of this scam of a distribution system [GHF], more than 1,000 starving people have been killed' - Juliette Touma, Unrwa At least 122 Palestinians, including 80 children, have died of starvation since Israel's blockade resumed in March, including 15 who died of malnutrition on Monday, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid at distribution sites run by the controversial GHF, in place since May and manned by Israeli soldiers and US security contractors. De Waal told MEE's live show on Tuesday that the UN is not in a position to declare famine due to Israel's obstruction of access to humanitarians and investigators who could gauge the extent of hunger. However, he said: "It is actually relatively straightforward if you are perpetrating a famine to shut out access to essential information and then say no one has declared famine. "Concealment of famine is an instrument of those who perpetrate it." De Waal added that famine is unfolding in Gaza in "a wholly predicted manner". De Waal is executive director of the World Peace Foundation, affiliated with the Fletcher School of Global Affairs at Tufts University, and the author of Mass Starvation: The History and Future of Famine.
