Sudan aid networks at risk of collapse, UN agencies warn

What the report says

The United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) has warned that Sudan’s aid system is close to collapsing as fighting, heavy rains and mass displacement continue to strain relief operations. Al Jazeera reported that, without fresh donations, shelter materials and other emergency supplies could run out by the end of the month, while the warehouses that support the aid pipeline may only be sustainable through the end of the year.

The warning comes amid Sudan’s war between the national army and the Rapid Support Forces, which began in April 2023 and has driven what aid agencies describe as the world’s largest hunger and displacement crisis. The IOM said 8.6 million people remain internally displaced, and that its network of nearly 100 local and international NGOs has reached 2.8 million people since July 2023. IOM Director General Amy Pope said the humanitarian system could fail within weeks unless new funding arrives.

Al Jazeera also cited falling funding for the World Food Programme in Sudan, with the agency’s acting head telling Reuters that financial shortfalls are now limiting operations even where access exists. The WFP’s funding this year was reported to be far below last year’s level. The broader context is that aid groups in Sudan are facing rising needs at the same time as international support has weakened.

The report added that the crisis is not only affecting civilians in displacement sites and flood-hit areas: at least four people were killed overnight in alleged RSF drone strikes on Damazin in Blue Nile state, according to a Sudanese military official cited by Al Jazeera.