Republic of Sudan

All of Concern’s work in Sudan has been affected by the current conflict, creating a complex emergency marked by high levels of displacement, limited humanitarian access, a lack of stable health and nutrition services, and widespread food insecurity. Despite these challenges, we’ve been responding to the immediate needs of people displaced by the fighting, helping them to meet basic survival needs through several responses including food assistance, multipurpose cash assistance, and other essential items. 

A key focus of our emergency response in Sudan has been health and nutrition support. Last year, we supported 62 health and nutrition facilities and eight mobile clinics across five states (West and Central Darfur, West and South Kordofan, and Red Sea). Our work in these centers included essential primary healthcare, integrated management of childhood illnesses, immunizations, prenatal and postnatal care, and nutrition support—especially for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition. 

In 2025 we also responded to several cholera outbreaks in Red Sea State, supporting a dedicated cholera treatment center in Port Sudan and additional clinics in Sawakin, rehabilitating facilities and providing supplies and support for the staff. This response helped lower the fatality rates. We also responded to the health needs caused by severe flooding in Red Sea in the summer of 2025.

Most of the health facilities Concern works in were being supported before conflict broke out in 2023, but needed to be scaled up in the absence of a functioning healthcare system — particularly in many of the rural health units. We’ve worked to respond to critical gaps in primary healthcare, nutrition services, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure.

Our nutrition programs are built around Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM), which Concern co-developed in 2000 and has since become the global standard of treatment for acute malnutrition. This method allows for greater outpatient treatment and at-home screening of children. Currently, we’re supporting outpatient care in 49 health facilities, 15 stabilization centers for inpatient treatment, and 55 therapeutic supplementary feeding programmes across 55 centres. 

WASH programs are also an integral component of our health and nutrition work and help to address some of the underlying causes of malnutrition, while also mitigating the risks of other disease outbreaks. We also support health centers in Sudan with WASH infrastructure, providing latrines, waste disposal pits or incinerators, and handwashing stands.

Cash is often easier to distribute than in-kind items in an emergency and can be better for both families and communities, allowing recipients to get what they need and supporting local markets where possible. Concern distributed multipurpose cash assistance to over 8,700 families last year, enabling families—particularly those recently displaced—to meet their immediate needs. Distributions in 2025 prioritized locations living in areas with the highest levels of food insecurity, as well as families headed by women or a single parent.

In West Kordofan, we’re also implementing a program to build food security and livelihoods for families who are both affected by conflict and rely on agriculture for both subsistence and income. The EU-funded Building Resilient Communities in West Kordofan (BRICK) is tailored to the needs of families facing both conflict and climate shocks through a lead-farmer approach. We’ve trained 300 lead farmers who are now working to train “follower” farmers, creating a system of mentorship at the local level and sharing climate-resilient agriculture practices. 

Last year, BRICK also supported the establishment of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), which have brought 700 farmers together to pool resources, invest in their businesses, and take out low-interest loans. We also provided business skills trainings to 181 members of Farmer Associations, supporting the longer-term financial health and stability of their livelihoods. BRICK also distributed 300 home-gardening kits to women, supporting immediate food security needs while also creating a source for long-term dietary diversity. In total, BRICK reached over 3,900 direct participants in 2025.