Help Mercy Corps Support Those in Sudan

International non-governmental organizations working in Sudan are deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic loss of five Sudanese Red Crescent Society volunteers in Bara, North Kordofan and remain gravely concerned about the three volunteers who are still missing.

We strongly condemn the continued and unacceptable attacks on humanitarian and frontline workers, including national and international aid staff, medical personnel, first responders, and volunteers, who are providing lifesaving assistance to civilians affected by the ongoing crisis in Sudan.

What was the situation in Sudan like before the current crisis?

Even before the ongoing conflict, an estimated 15.8 million people—about one-third of the population—were expected to need humanitarian aid in 2023. The number of children in Sudan who are malnourished was already rising at an alarming rate. About 4 million children under five and pregnant or breastfeeding women will be acutely malnourished in 2023 and need lifesaving nutrition services.

Decades of conflict, limited investment in agricultural production, and climate shocks have resulted in cyclical food insecurity in many communities. Sudan depends on local agriculture for food security, but is hindered by floods and desertification. In Khartoum, refugees and people living in poverty face the highest rates of food insecurity in the country.

The World Bank reports that record-setting floods in 2020 and 2022 resulted in billions of dollars in estimated damages, further compounding Sudan’s economic crisis of rapid inflation and increasing food prices.

How is Mercy Corps supporting communities amidst the crisis?

Amid one of the world’s fastest-growing humanitarian crises, we are providing life-saving support across all 18 states while also helping communities lay the foundations for long-term recovery.

Today we are:

• Delivering emergency assistance. We are reaching displaced families with cash and voucher support so they can buy essentials like food, water, and hygiene supplies—helping nearly 100,000 people by 2025.
• Supporting food security and resilience. In states like Gedaref, Kassala, River Nile, and Northern State—key agricultural areas—we are helping smallholder farmers access quality seeds and tools to restore food production disrupted by conflict, displacement, and climate shocks.
• Preventing malnutrition. In partnership with local health authorities in Central Darfur, we are supporting with screening young children and pregnant or nursing women for malnutrition, providing treatment and education to help keep families healthy.
• Strengthening markets and livelihoods. In conflict-affected areas of Kordofan and beyond, we are helping small businesses get back on their feet and supporting communities to rebuild local economies.   

What is Mercy Corps’ experience working in Sudan?

Since 2004, Mercy Corps has worked in Sudan to support hundreds of thousands of Sudanese, displaced households, and refugees from nearby countries.

Prior to this current escalation, Mercy Corps operated in South Darfur, North Kordofan, South Kordofan, Gedaref, and Khartoum states. Our programs in Sudan span humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding. In 2022, Mercy Corps directly reached over 437,000 people through emergency response, water, sanitation, and hygiene, peacebuilding, agriculture, and climate adaptation programming.

Nearly nine years ago, Rose and her four children fled by foot from their home in South Sudan when conflict erupted. They arrived at Bidi Bidi refugee settlement in Uganda, the largest refugee camp in Africa and home to more than 250,000 refugees.

Rose has partnered with two women to grow sesame on about three acres of land. Supported by a Mercy Corps and Village Enterprise program, they have also started a savings and loans group, where each member contributes a small amount on a weekly basis so they can draw loans to help with shortfalls. “I am able to support my home and take care of my children,” said Rose. “When the [sesame] is ready, I am able to solve my challenges.”

With the income she earns from farming, Rose is hoping she can save enough to send one of her daughters to boarding school in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. With each sesame harvest, Rose is growing more opportunities for her children.