CAIRO: Egypt said Thursday it is willing to resume negotiations with Sudan and Ethiopia over the filling of a controversial mega-dam that has been a source of tension between all three Nile basin countries.
“Egypt is always ready to enter into negotiations and participate in upcoming meetings... to reach a fair, balanced and comprehensive agreement,” the foreign ministry said in a statement late Thursday.
The ministry said the agreement would have to take into account “Egypt’s water interests as well as those of Ethiopia and Sudan.”
Cairo’s thawing stance comes after Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok held a virtual meeting with his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed earlier Thursday to hammer out a deal.
The online meeting comes after Addis Ababa said it would not delay filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) which it began constructing in 2011.
In April, Ahmed proposed proceeding with the “first stage filling” that would collect 18.4 billion cubic meters of water in the dam’s reservoir over two years.
But both Egypt and Sudan fear the reservoir — which has a capacity of 74 billion cubic meters — will trap their essential water supplies.
Hamdok and Abiy’s talks were the first after a diplomatic spat that broke out between Egypt and Ethiopia reached the UN Security Council.
Filling and operating the dam “would jeopardize the water security, food security, and indeed, the very existence of over 100 million Egyptians, who are entirely dependent on the Nile River for their livelihood,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said in a letter to the UN Security Council dated May 1.
In a response dated May 14, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew accused Egypt of being obstructionist.
“Ethiopia does not have a legal obligation to seek the approval of Egypt to fill the dam,” Gedu said.
Egypt wants Ethiopia to endorse a draft agreement emerging from the talks earlier this year facilitated by the US Treasury Department, which stepped in after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi put in a request to his ally US President Donald Trump.
But Ethiopia skipped the most recent round of those talks and denies any deal was agreed upon.
Cairo’s heavily worded letter to the Security Council raised the specter of the possibility of armed conflict stemming from the dam deadlock.
Egypt accepts Ethiopia-Sudan proposal to renegotiate dam dispute
https://arab.news/bhkdj
Egypt accepts Ethiopia-Sudan proposal to renegotiate dam dispute
- Egypt and Sudan fear the reservoir – which has a capacity of 74 billion cubic meters – will trap their essential water supplies
Aid mechanisms deployed to fill UN void in Yemen’s Houthi-controlled areas
- Upcoming donor conference in Jordan seen as pivotal opportunity to re-mobilize international support
ADEN: Humanitarian operations in Yemen are entering a new and more complex phase after the UN was forced to rely on alternative aid-delivery mechanisms in Houthi-controlled areas, following the closure of its offices and the seizure of its assets.
The move has reshaped relief efforts in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
The shift comes as Amman prepares to host an international donor conference aimed at curbing the rapid deterioration in food security, amid warnings that hunger could spread to millions more people this year.
Recent humanitarian estimates show that about 22.3 million Yemenis — nearly half the population — will require some form of assistance in 2026, an increase of 2.8 million from last year. The rise reflects deepening economic decline and persistent restrictions on humanitarian work in conflict zones.
Aid sources say the UN is reorganizing its operations by transferring responsibility for distributing life-saving assistance to a network of partners, including international and local non-governmental organizations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, which continues to operate in those areas.
The transition aims to ensure continued access to food and medicine for the most vulnerable despite the absence of a direct UN presence, which has been undermined by restrictions imposed by the Houthis.
International agencies are increasingly adopting a “remote management” model to reduce risks to staff and maintain aid flows.
Relief experts caution, however, that this approach brings serious challenges, including limited field oversight and difficulties ensuring aid reaches beneficiaries without interference.
Humanitarian reports warn that operational constraints have already deprived millions of Yemenis of essential assistance at a time of unprecedented food insecurity.
More than 18 million people are suffering from acute hunger, with millions classified at emergency levels under international food security standards.
The upcoming donor conference in Jordan is seen as a pivotal opportunity to re-mobilize international support and address a widening funding gap that threatens to scale back critical humanitarian programs.
Discussions are expected to focus on new ways to deliver aid under security and administrative constraints and on strengthening the role of local partners with greater access to affected communities.
Yemen’s crisis extends beyond food.
The health sector is under severe strain, with about 40 percent of health facilities closed or at risk of closure due to funding shortages.
Women and girls are particularly affected as reproductive health services decline, increasing pregnancy and childbirth-related risks.
The World Health Organization has warned that deteriorating conditions have fueled outbreaks of preventable diseases amid falling immunization rates, with fewer than two-thirds of children receiving basic vaccines.
More than 18,600 measles cases and 188 deaths were recorded last year, while Yemen reported the world’s third-highest number of suspected cholera cases between March 2024 and November 2025.
