Emergency Response Rooms in Khartoum, Sudan, serve as a lifeline for families in need of medical aid © Courtesy of CORE
By Allie Murray
On April 15th, 2023, civil unrest in Sudan reached new heights when violence erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The now civil war has been raging in the country for almost a year and a half, which has forced the displacement of nearly nine million people, and left half of Sudan’s population—some 25 million people—in need of humanitarian assistance.
Shortly after the war began, CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) launched an emergency response partnership with two Sudanese NGOs—the Sudanese Development Call Organization (NIDAA) and Sustainable Development Response Organization (SuDRO), to support Sudanese people in need.
“This is an urgent situation where we are seeing signs of famine already across the country of Sudan,” UN Special Envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello, who is working with CORE on this initiative, said in a recent briefing. “We have known about horrific atrocities, particularly against women and children, forced recruitment, even slavery in this conflict that must end. And now we’re seeing a situation as we head into the rainy season that could quickly get much worse, and the humanitarian crisis is already at a breaking point.”
With their local partners, CORE launched initiatives to support 11 Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) and Women’s Response Rooms (WRRs) across Sudan. These Response Rooms are locally run establishments where people can receive life-saving items and services like food and water, the safe relocation of individuals, and the transfer of pregnant women to ensure safe deliveries.
Due to the severity of the war in Sudan, local organizations and volunteers have been leading their own response, with many of these ERRs being led by young people who are eager to help. With the assistance of humanitarian organizations like CORE, these programs are able to help even more people in need.
Similarly, CORE launched a cash assistance program to provide monetary relief to 600 conflict-affected households—amounting to some 3,500 people—in two difficult-to-reach neighborhoods, Burri and Algiriaf. The cash assistance program helps to provide a lifeline to those impacted and displaced by the ongoing crisis, allowing them to access basic needs like food, medicine and fuel.
“Sudan’s volunteers, organizations, and mutual aid groups serve as a model for the rest of us,” CORE CEO and Co-founder Ann Lee said. “Regular citizens have banded together to save their own families and larger communities.”
As the war in Sudan rages on, the ERRs will remain vital to the well-being and survival of the Sudanese people. CORE noted that the challenge in providing holistic aid during a civil war is ensuring that resources are available to support those who need assistance most—and they are dedicated to providing those services by adapting their methods as the crisis continues to evolve.
Today, CORE and NIDAA are implementing an additional cash assistance program to support the vital efforts of WRRs in Khartoum. This partnership aims to strengthen the capacity of WRRs and ensure that relief reaches the hands of those most vulnerable as the crisis continues to push millions further into insecurity.
CORE’s response is ongoing, and Sudan and its people are in need of support. They are continuing to connect with local, community-based, youth and women-led actions for a more sustainable approach to support Sudan.
