A Norwegian human rights foundation gave its annual prize to the Emergency Response Rooms, a Sudanese network providing aid.

In war-torn Sudan, local neighbourhood committees known as Emergency Response Rooms (ERR) are making an invaluable contribution to help their fellow citizens with water, food and health care. ERR brin...

I eit lite og kokvarmt rom blir det smurt smørbrød og fargerike plastglas fyllest opp med saft. Sudans prislønte grasrotorganisasjon har redda mange liv.

Amid deadly conflict, Sudanese first responders are succeeding where international systems have failed. Why have funders been so slow to scale this work?

Sudan’s civil war, which began in 2021 following a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has entered its third year and is widely described as one of the world’s most severe but overlooked humanitarian crises. The conflict has reportedly caused over 150,000 deaths, displaced more than 15 million people, and left around 19 million facing acute food insecurity. Amid this crisis, local volunteers have formed Emergency Response Rooms across Sudan, providing essential grassroots humanitarian support in extremely dangerous conditions. These community-led networks draw on the cultural tradition of nafeer, a concept centred on collective responsibility and mutual aid. Many of these responders are unpaid volunteers, with only a minority receiving any salary, yet they continue delivering life-saving assistance in active conflict zones. However, the article highlights that these local responders are not formally recognised as humanitarian workers by the international aid system. As a result, they lack legal protections under frameworks such as the Geneva Conventions, leaving them more vulnerable to violence and targeting. Responders also report that international donors, including governments and UN agencies, often prioritise bureaucratic risk management over urgent local needs. Funding processes are described as slow, inflexible, and difficult to navigate, delaying critical assistance. The article further notes a decline in the number of organisations receiving international funding for Sudan, despite the worsening situation. Local leaders argue that global attention and resources are unevenly distributed across crises, leading to unequal humanitarian outcomes. Although Emergency Response Rooms have received international recognition and awards, including Nobel Peace Prize nominations, they continue to struggle for sustainable funding and institutional recognition. Responders are calling for stronger protection, fair compensation, more flexible funding arrangements, direct support for local organisations, and long-term investment in rebuilding Sudan beyond immediate emergency relief.