U.S., allies working to send more humanitarian aid to Sudan : NPR
As Sudan’s humanitarian crisis deepens, the United States and its international allies have pledged millions more in aid, but diplomatic roadblocks and aid obstructions are hampering progress.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
The Trump administration is working with the United Nations to secure more aid for Sudan, often called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. NPR’s Michele Kelemen reports from a donor conference here in Washington, D.C.
MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: The U.N.’s top humanitarian official, Tom Fletcher, says the crisis in Sudan has lasted more than a thousand days.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
TOM FLETCHER: Too many days of famine, brutal atrocities, lives uprooted and destroyed and women and girls enduring terrifying sexual violence.
KELEMEN: The Trump administration is giving $200 million to a new United Nations fund for Sudan. The United Arab Emirates announced $500 million, but its representative, Lana Nusseibeh, did not respond to allegations that her country supported the Rapid Support Forces, one of the warring parties accused of atrocities in Sudan.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
LANA NUSSEIBEH: We must redouble our efforts to end this conflict because all the help in the world cannot replace this peace.
KELEMEN: Diplomats from Saudi Arabia and Egypt have also called for a truce but have not spoken about their support for the other side of the conflict, the Sudanese armed forces. Trump’s envoy, Massad Boulos, is working to get all these regional players and warring parties to agree on a peace deal, as President Trump called for last November.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
MASSAD BOULOS: Since then, we’ve all stepped up our efforts in accordance with President Trump’s directives, and yet we haven’t really accomplished much yet.
KELEMEN: His new goal is to secure a humanitarian truce in time for Ramadan in a few weeks.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
BOULOS: We must remain optimistic. Otherwise, we will lose the will to continue fighting for this cause.
KELEMEN: The U.N. humanitarian chief praised Boulos for his focus on a war that often doesn’t get the attention it deserves.
Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Department of State.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
Copyright © 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit the terms of use and permissions pages on our website at www.npr.org for more information.
The accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. The text of the transcript may be edited to correct errors or match updates to the audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio recording.
