Sudan Update – W/C 22nd May 2023

Practical Action in Sudan is continuing to operate where it is safe to do so despite ongoing armed conflict.

Below is an update from our Sudanese director, Muna Eltahir who has relocated to Cairo, along with an estimated one million other people:

Muna Eltahir, Sudanese Director, Practical Action

“From Cairo, I have been able to get a stable internet connection and manage Practical Action’s response to the crisis in Sudan. I am still getting regular updates from family, friends and colleagues in Sudan and they tell me that Khartoum is like a ghost town.

“I have also been told that our office there has been broken into. A small amount of money and some valuables have been stolen from it. It remains too dangerous for my colleagues to visit there.

“This is something that many civil society organisations are facing and further evidence that the two sides are continuing to fail to respect humanitarian workers safety and to create an environment which will enable us to carry out vital work.

“I call upon leaders of both sides to commit to a ceasefire and to allow basic supplies and medicine to reach innocent civilians caught up in the conflict.

“Our other offices in Darfur, Blue Nile and Kassala remain intact, and some are still operating. My colleagues have been working hard throughout the past weeks and they remain totally committed to the communities we have been working with, and to delivering Practical Action’s vital work.

“We are planning to relocate our central office to the city of Medani, which remains much safer than Khartoum.

“From there, we will join with other organisations to provide support to millions of internally displaced people in Sudan. Their needs are wide ranging and complex and we will use our expertise in accessing water and sanitation and our decades of experience working with displaced people in Sudan to support as many people as possible.

“We are also continuing to deliver key elements of our existing projects in rural areas where it is possible to do so without putting staff, contractors and local communities at risk.

“Our fundraising team continue to hunt for opportunities and are talking to donors to explore opportunities for us to support the people of Sudan.

“It has been a challenge to do so, but I am pleased to say we have been able to find a way to pay my colleagues their wages, so they can get hold of vital supplies and feed their families.

“This is an incredibly tough time for everyone in Sudan. But I am immensely proud of my colleagues at Practical Action. Despite their own personal hardship, they have stepped up, and continue to work with people who are struggling to survive. Their attitude and the solidarity of the people of Sudan gives me hope that positive, practical action will prevail even in this darkest of times.”