From Policy to Practice: new funding and partnership models across Sudan

 What does real partnership look like in Sudan? The mutual aid response to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan offers a blueprint for rethinking humanitarian partnerships.

Bashair Ahmed, hosts this exploratory conversation with key actors in the Sudan response Safaa Dawoud, Taylor Dudley, and Federico Motka. The discussion analyses how Sudan's ongoing conflict has challenged conventional humanitarian responses and accelerated a shift towards locally led action. 

Examining how local organisations, mutual aid groups and community volunteers became the first and most effective responders when international agencies were unable to access many parts of Sudan due to insecurity; the conversation delves into more of the following themes:

Mutual aid as the backbone of the response: how trusted community networks including Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs), volunteer groups and local organisations were already embedded within communities and could respond immediately while international actors faced significant access constraints.

Evolving to genuine partnership: challenging traditional humanitarian funding models and arguing that localisation should mean more than local implementation. Instead, local organisations should have direct access to funding, decision-making authority, flexible financing and long-term relationships with donors.

The evolving role of donors: how Vitol Foundation and Center for Disaster Philanthropy deliberately shifted more than 75% of their international humanitarian funding directly to local and national organisations. 

Lessons from Sudan
The panel reflects on several important lessons including that supporting the wider ecosystem including local NGOs, community groups and diaspora networks is essential for sustainable humanitarian responses.

Visit the episode webpage for more information:

From Policy to Practice: new funding and partnership models across Sudan - Humanitarian Leadership Academy

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