US plans donors’ conference for Sudan as humanitarian crisis deepens

January 8, 2026 (ABU DHABI) – The US Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos, said on Thursday that Washington plans to organize a donors’ conference for Sudan in the coming weeks to address what President Donald Trump has called the world’s “largest humanitarian disaster.”

The move comes as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warns that 33.7 million people, including 17.3 million children, require urgent assistance this year.

In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Boulos said the United States intends to establish a dedicated fund to collect resources for direct use in the humanitarian crisis. He noted that Trump believes the situation “must end quickly.”

“We are discussing developments in Sudan with our partners in the international Quad and other parties,” Boulos added.

The Quad mechanism, which includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United States, has faced criticism from the Sudanese government over the participation of the United Arab Emirates. Khartoum has accused the UAE of providing military support to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), an allegation Abu Dhabi has denied.

Sudan has demanded a peace process based on its own vision, which requires the RSF to withdraw from urban areas, disarm, and participate in a domestic political conference to determine the country’s future governance.

Boulos met on Thursday with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed and other officials to discuss the “urgent need” for a humanitarian truce to mitigate civilian suffering.

In a separate diplomatic track, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty informed the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, of Cairo’s efforts within the Quad to secure a ceasefire.

Abdelatty stressed Egypt’s commitment to Sudan’s sovereignty and national institutions, while condemning recent violations against civilians in El Fasher and North Kordofan.