Humanitarian aid workers face significant obstacles that prevent life-saving assistance from reaching communities and alleviating suffering worldwide. In Sudan, conflict, access restrictions, and funding shortfalls hinder aid delivery. The response relies heavily on Sudanese volunteers and community organisations, whose contributions and the risks they face merit greater recognition. 

The International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) 2026 Emergency Watchlist ranks Sudan first among the countries at greatest risk of new or worsening humanitarian emergencies. More than 9 million people have been displaced within Sudan, making it part of the world’s largest displacement crisis. The ongoing conflict has halted agricultural production, exacerbating severe food insecurity. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warns that 14 areas face famine risk, underscoring the urgent need for consistent humanitarian access.

The Dangers of Being a Humanitarian Worker

Delivering assistance effectively as an aid worker can be exceptionally challenging. As 96 per cent of humanitarian workers are nationals of the countries in which they operate, they face heightened risks while continuing to provide assistance to communities affected by conflict, often experiencing the same insecurity and displacement as those they serve. In August 2026, the Aid Worker Security Database (AWSD) reported that 71 of the 350 aid workers killed in 2025 were from Sudan alone. AWSD records of violence against aid workers demonstrate that national staff bear the brunt of these impacts. Sudanese humanitarian workers therefore do more than support an international response; they face some of the greatest risks while delivering assistance. 

While the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols establish protections for civilians and humanitarian relief personnel under international humanitarian law, there has still been violence against protected humanitarian personnel. Humanitarian personnel remain exposed to threats arising from active hostilities, insecurity, detention, and restrictions on their movement. Local responders continue to encounter significant security and financial challenges. 

Barriers to Humanitarian Access

Humanitarian workers and aid supplies often cannot reach communities in need. However, violence is not the only barrier; political decisions, administrative restrictions, and official permissions also determine access. UN agencies and humanitarian organisations assist in Sudan, yet access remains limited, permission-dependent, and inconsistent in some areas. The World Food Programme (WFP) warns that conflict and restrictions threaten food assistance, as the SAF and RSF restrict deliveries throughout the country. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are the two main rival military factions engaged in Sudan’s ongoing civil war.  The requirement for official permissions further complicates aid delivery across territories controlled by different armed actors. When access depends on the decisions of parties to the conflict, humanitarian workers face additional challenges in fulfilling their responsibilities. These pressures place local responders and Sudanese aid workers at particular risk, as they often continue working in dangerous conditions to support communities affected by the conflict. Consequently, delivering humanitarian assistance depends not only on aid workers’ safety, but also on their ability to reach people in need without undue interference. The February 2026 closure of the Adré border crossing in eastern Chad, which had been used to facilitate aid deliveries to Sudan’s Darfur region; the SAF-aligned authorities’ imposition of a de facto blockade on medical supplies in RSF-controlled areas of Khartoum; and the RSF’s continued presence in hospitals and the widespread looting of aid are all examples of situations that make it difficult to deliver aid into Sudan.

The Role of Local Responders and Community-Led Aid

While international organisations provide humanitarian assistance and relief in Sudan, local responders and communities often deliver most of the support Sudanese people receive throughout the conflict. When international organisations face government-related constraints, local organisations provide direct assistance. Across Sudan, more than 700 community-led “Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs)” provide medical care, communal kitchens, childcare, maternal health services, and other forms of local support, with new rooms opening each week. This “mutual-aid” model has organised local groups into a network that connects neighbourhood-level humanitarian responses with international donors. The Mutual Aid Sudan Coalition (MASC) facilitates this, and unlike donations through international organisations, MASC provides local mutual aid organisations with direct funding. Because local communities manage ERRs, their knowledge of local issues and established relationships enable context-specific decision-making and real-time adaptation to security conditions. This distinctive approach helps ensure that aid is distributed effectively and accountably. Local networks provide resources, while communities’ knowledge and relationships help identify urgent needs and reach areas formal aid cannot access. However, these volunteer initiatives need sustained funding, security, and recognition from the wider humanitarian system.

Protecting Workers and Local Responders

Humanitarian aid is critical to keeping millions of displaced people in Sudan alive. However, humanitarian workers cannot deliver assistance effectively unless they can carry out their duties without fear of violence or unlawful restrictions. Organisations such as Save the Children have highlighted the risks humanitarian personnel face, particularly national staff.

To improve the situation, parties to the conflict must respect international humanitarian law, facilitate rapid, unimpeded humanitarian relief in accordance with their obligations according to Rule 55 of the International Humanitarian Law, and protect humanitarian personnel and civilian infrastructure. States should also use appropriate diplomatic and legal measures to secure humanitarian access, prevent attacks, and hold those responsible for violations accountable.

Donors and international humanitarian organisations must recognise and protect Sudanese community-led responders as essential partners by providing direct, flexible funding to credible local initiatives, supporting volunteer networks, and ensuring funding requirements do not exclude organisations lacking resources or administrative capacity. Their community ties let them reach people when larger organisations face access barriers, but expose them to serious risks. 

Ending Sudan’s conflict and restoring stability are vital, but humanitarian aid cannot wait for peace. It must meet communities’ immediate needs and support those sustaining relief efforts. Sudanese volunteers, local organisations, international agencies, and diaspora networks all contribute, but they need adequate funding, protection, and access. The question is not only whether aid reaches the people who need it most, but also whether the Sudanese responders making that possible receive the resources and protection they deserve.

“Every humanitarian worker killed, injured or detained is more than a number. They are a parent, sibling, friend, neighbour, or colleague. Their loss is felt not only by their loved ones, but by the communities and children they serve.” Gabriella Waaijman, Save the Children’s Chief Operating Officer

The image shows a UNAMID (African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur) vehicle escorting a World Food Programme (WFP) supply truck in Darfur, Sudan. However, the mission has now sadly pulled out of Sudan completely because of the war