US intensifies engagement with Sudan amid worsening humanitarian crisis

The United States has ramped up its diplomatic outreach as Sudan’s humanitarian crisis worsens. Over the past week, Massad Boulos, the U.S. senior advisor for Arab and African affairs, met with several regional leaders in a bid to address the escalating conflict. On October 16, Boulos held talks in Cairo with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, discussing “challenges in the region and opportunities to facilitate peace.” In a statement, Boulos emphasized Washington’s appreciation for Egypt’s role in regional diplomacy, citing its “constructive role in Sudan” and its engagement within the Quad framework.

Boulos’s visit came one day after Sudanese leader Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan met with El-Sisi. According to a statement from Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council, the discussions “reviewed bilateral relations and regional and international issues of mutual concern.” El-Sisi “reaffirmed Egypt’s support for Sudanese state institutions” and “urged Sudanese factions to unite to protect the country.”

Following his visit to Egypt, Boulos met with Chadian President Idriss Déby, where the leaders “stressed the urgency of addressing the conflict in Sudan.” On the same day, he also met with Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji. The officials noted that both countries are “working through the Quad to take urgent, coordinated action to restore peace and stability and bring an end to the suffering of the Sudanese people.”

Late last year, Sudan formally accused neighboring Chad of supplying weapons to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and Sudan’s Justice Minister Muawiya Osman announced that Sudan had filed a complaint with the African Union. In March of this year, Sudan’s deputy army commander, Lieutenant General Yasir al-Atta, accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of using airports in Chad to supply weapons to the RSF. Speaking at a memorial for an officer killed in an RSF drone strike, Atta declared that airports in N'Djamena and Amdjarass were “legitimate targets” and warned of potential retaliatory action against the Chadian President Mahamat Déby. Chad condemned Atta’s remarks as a “declaration of war,” with its foreign ministry warning that any threat to Chadian territory would be met in accordance with international law. Chad has consistently denied supporting any faction in Sudan’s conflict.

These diplomatic efforts come as Sudan faces a deepening humanitarian crisis — particularly in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. According to a recent MedGlobal report, one in four households has experienced a death in the past three months, and more than 70 percent of residents have witnessed violence against civilians. The city has been largely encircled by RSF forces, cutting off escape routes and subjecting residents to relentless shelling.

The blockade has triggered catastrophic shortages of essential resources: 75 percent of residents report rarely or never having access to food, and half face similar shortages of clean water. Malnutrition has reached critical levels, with one in five children under five suffering from acute malnutrition, and 60 percent of adolescent girls aged 15–19 affected.

Most health facilities have been destroyed or rendered inaccessible, and 91 percent of homes are reported to be damaged, looted, or destroyed. A communications blackout has further isolated the city, leaving its population of approximately 260,000 repeatedly displaced — 70 percent of whom have been forced to flee three or more times

Speaking to the Financial Times last month, Boulos expressed confidence that humanitarian aid would soon reach El Fasher. He noted that Washington, in coordination with Egypt, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, has “secured an agreement” to deliver assistance to the besieged city.

Despite international sanctions targeting the warring factions, Sudan’s humanitarian crisis continues to worsen. Coordinated peace efforts remain uncertain, complicated by the involvement of multiple foreign actors. The relationship between Sudan’s leadership and the United Arab Emirates has deteriorated since the conflict began. A recent report by The Sentry uncovered financial ties between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and entities based in the UAE. Meanwhile, reports and evidence of Colombian mercenaries operating in Sudan have surfaced repeatedly. These developments have deepened Sudan’s status as one of the world’s worst humanitarian emergencies.