Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) broke out in the capital, Khartoum, on 15 April and spread rapidly across the country. Hundreds of peoplehave died, with thousands more wounded and in need of urgent medical attention. Many people are trapped in their homes without food or water, while others are fleeing to other parts of Sudan or neighbouring countries. Through this Appeal, the IFRC is supporting the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to people in at-risk locations and on the move.

Khartoum/Nairobi/Cairo/Beirut/Geneva, 2 June 2023 – In its seventh week, the conflict in Sudan has depleted the resources of the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS), prompting the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to double its Emergency Appeal to 60 million Swiss francs. It is also launching a second regional appeal of 42 million Swiss francs to support the influx of people fleeing to neighboring countries. SRCS Secretary General Aida Elsayed said: “Without this support, the people of Sudan will suffer grave humanitarian impacts as they will simply not be able to meet their basic needs and the consequences will be severe. The fighting shows no signs of slowing down and the human toll continues to grow every day." “If funded, this revised appeal will mean SRCS can continue with evacuations, provision of water, food, shelter, first aid and psychological support as well as reuniting families. It will surely mean the difference between life and death for many people. It will certainly be a deciding factor in whether countless families experience extreme suffering.” Shortages of medicine, food, water and fuel, destruction of hospitals, residential buildings, energy and water infrastructure as well as the risks of death and injury due to the fighting and lack of access to cash means people are not able to access essential goods and services or move to safety. With 40,000 volunteers in 18 branches around the country, SRCS is the largest humanitarian organization on the ground in Sudan and has so far provided more than 40,000 meals and food parcels, 24,000 first aid and medical treatments, and evacuated 740 wounded people. SRCS is also conducting safe and dignified burials for those who lost their lives. “While our SRCS volunteers have been working tirelessly to help people since the start of the conflict despite the dangers and the fact that they and their own families are also affected, much more is needed. But this will only be possible if we receive the funding. Without it, we are leaving the people of Sudan to face impossible situations that many may not survive,” said Ms Elsayed. Nine million people have been affected by the conflict in a country where 11.7 million people were already in need of food and livelihood assistance. “With these pre-existing vulnerabilities and lifesaving food aid almost completely stopped, the consequences will be disastrous for families relying on this assistance,” said Ms Elsayed. The new Regional Population Movement Appeal will support the humanitarian response activities of National Societies in the neighboring countries of Egypt, Chad, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Ethiopia and Libya. IFRC Regional Director for Africa Mohammed Mukhier said: “More than 330,000 people have fled the devastating conflict in Sudan seeking safety in neighboring countries. The situation is extremely volatile and as the conflict continues, the movement across borders will only increase. These were already vulnerable people, with the majority women and children, and a significant number are fleeing violence for a second time having been displaced from camps in Sudan.” Outside Sudan the presence of Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies staff and volunteers at border points is crucial. They are operating Humanitarian Service Points to provide people fleeing the conflict with essential services such as psychosocial support, medication, first aid, food and sim cards as well as restoring family links. For more information or to request an interview, please contact: [email protected] In Nairobi: Rita Nyaga, +254 110 837 154, [email protected] Susan Cullinan, +61 457 527 197, [email protected] In Beirut: Mey el Sayegh, +96176174468, [email protected] In Geneva: Anna Tuson, +41 79 895 6924 Tommaso Della Longa, +41 79 708 4367

Khartoum/Nairobi/Geneva, 16 May 2023: A new batch of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) humanitarian supplies, weighing 17 tons, arrived in Port Sudan today from Dubai. Transportation of these supplies was made possible through a European Union humanitarian air bridge flight. The IFRC is hopeful that this air bridge will be maintained to ensure further aid is provided in the coming weeks. Among the household items delivered were blankets, jerricans, kitchen sets, mosquito nets, sleeping mats and tarpaulins for 500 families. This dispatch will be followed in the coming days by a second batch of medical supplies including Interagency Emergency Health Kits (IEHK) to increase access to much needed healthcare services for thousands of people affected by the conflict. Upon arrival, they will be handed over to the Sudanese Red Crescent Society. Mohammed Mukhier, IFRC Regional Director for Africa said: “Most of our aid supplies were already distributed to people in need, despite some being looted in Khartoum and Darfur. So, this international humanitarian shipment comes at a crucial time as it will help the Sudanese Red Crescent Society to assist people caught between the conflict and the next flooding, which is typical in the country.” Since conflict escalated, thousands of families have been cut off from basic services, including health services, food, water, and shelter and are in desperate need of help. Sudanese Red Crescent volunteers have been working tirelessly, right from the start, to provide lifesaving assistance to affected people, despite the dangers they face and the fact that they are also affected. They are running a broad range of humanitarian services, including first aid, psychosocial support, family reunification for people who have been separated from their loved ones, food and water distribution, shelter provision, and safe and dignified burials for those who lost their lives. On May 4, the IFRC launched an Emergency Appeal to support the Sudanese Red Crescent Society to deliver assistance to 200,000 people affected by the conflict. “Our volunteers will deliver the relief items wherever access and security allow. For that purpose, we renew our call for safe and unhindered access and passage to allow humanitarian help to reach those in need,” said Mr Mukhier. While supporting the Sudanese Red Crescent Society in assisting people in Sudan, IFRC is also scaling up its response to meet the urgent needs of those fleeing the conflict and crossing into neighbouring countries: Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan. For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: [email protected] In Nairobi: Rita Nyaga, +254 722 527553, [email protected] In Geneva: Anna Tuson, +41 79 895 6924 Tommaso Della Longa, +41 79 708 4367 In Dakar: Moustapha Diallo, +221 77 450 10 04, [email protected]

Khartoum/Nairobi/Geneva, 4 May 2023 – The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched an Emergency Appeal to support the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) to deliver assistance to 200,000 people affected by the recent conflict. Since fighting broke out in several parts of the country on 15 April 2023, access to basic services such as healthcare and water provision have been deteriorating. Many families cannot access food, medicine, or water due to fear of being caught in the crossfire and the escalation of prices. Around 15 million people were already in need of humanitarian assistance prior to the conflict. Farid Abdulkadir, IFRC head of Country Cluster for Sudan said: “Despite these difficult circumstances, Sudanese Red Crescent volunteers have remained on the ground, providing psychosocial support and first aid services since the fighting started. Those close to hospitals are working alongside the healthcare staff and providing medical support.” Damage caused by the fighting is immense and the people will need to rebuild their lives in the months to come. Many have been moving to neighbouring countries in search of safety or to seek medical assistance. This has led to separation of families, causing further psychological strain on communities being forced to make decisions between remaining and leaving. “This means that many are remaining inside Sudan because they are not able to make this choice and more cannot leave because they do not have the means to do so. All of them need support and we want to work alongside the SRCS to ensure as many people as possible get the assistance they need,” said Mr Abdulkadir. Through the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF), the IFRC previously activated funds to support mobilization of volunteers to help with emergency activities across all SRCS branches in Sudan. By launching this Emergency Appeal, the IFRC is seeking 30 million Swiss Francs to assist the SRCS in providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to people in at-risk locations and on the move. The SRCS has 18 branches and 40,000 volunteers spread across the country, including at border points with Egypt, Chad, Ethiopia, South Sudan and the Central African Republic. Red Cross Red crescent teams in these countries have also been mobilized to provide humanitarian support to the influx of people crossing the borders and seeking safety. For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: [email protected] In Nairobi: Rita Nyaga, +254 722 527553, [email protected] In Geneva: Anna Tuson, +41 79 895 6924 Tommaso Della Longa, +41 79 708 4367

Latest information Sudan: Complex emergency- our Emergency Appeal to support people inside Sudan Sudan crisis: Regional population movement- our Emergency Appeal to support people fleeing the conflict to neighbouring countries -- Fighting broke out in Marawei military base, Sudan on 15 April and then escalated rapidly in Khartoum and across the country. Reports indicate that hundreds of peoplehave lost their lives, with thousands more wounded and in need of urgent medical attention. Civilians are unable to access food or water because shops remain closed and their safety is not assured. Basic services like electricity and internet services have been disrupted. So far, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced internally or fled across borders to seek safety in neighbouring countries. Medical personnel are struggling to access health facilities due to the fighting. Hospitals that are usually re-stocked every 2-3 days are now going weeks withoutsupplies. Some of the most urgent needs in hospitals are first aid kits, diesel for power generators, stretchers, and beds, as well as transportation for medical staff and volunteers. This latest flare-up of violence threatens to worsen a humanitarian crisis in a region that has suffered from years of violence, instability, economic hardship andfood insecurity. Our response so far More than 200 Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) volunteers have been deployed in Khartoum to offer first aid services and psychosocial support to those affected. Hundreds of volunteers have also been deployed in other states; North Darfur, South Darfur and Northern State (Merawi) to offer first aid services in hospitals. Volunteers are running a family reunification service for people who have been separated from their loved ones, offering psychosocial support to those who have lost contact. On 2 May we launched an Emergency Appeal for Sudanfor 30 million Swiss francsto scale-up the Sudanese Red Crescent Society's local, life-saving action in the country, in collaboration and coordination with members of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The IFRC has also made the following funding allocations to National Societies through ourDisaster Response Emergency Fund(DREF): 475,320 Swiss francs to the Sudanese Red Crescent Societyto enable them to provide health services, psychosocial support, and search and rescue efforts across multiple states. Find out more. 137,369 Swiss francs to the Chad Red Cross to help them support the growing number of people fleeing the conflict and crossing the border into Chad. Find out more. 305,832Swiss francs to the Egyptian Red Crescent to help them support the growing number of people fleeing the conflict and crossing the border into Egypt.Find out more. 485,297 Swiss francs to the Ethiopian Red Crossto help them support the growing number of people fleeing the conflict and crossing the border into Ethiopia. Find out more. 355,567 Swiss francs to the South Sudan Red Crossto help them support the growing number of people fleeing the conflict and crossing the border into South Sudan. Find out more. 223,438 Swiss francs to the Central African Republic Red Cross to help themsupport the growing number of people fleeing the conflict and crossing the border into Central African Republic. Find out more. We continue to call on parties involved in the conflict to provide vital humanitarian space. With every single hour that the wounded and the sick cannot receive urgent assistance, the human toll continues to grow. Health-care facilities must be protected, and their personnel and transport must be given safe passage. It is an urgent priority for us to be able to reach these facilities and for maintenance teams to reach power and water stations. For more information English: Reuters article 'Red Cross warns of possible humanitarian disaster on Sudan-Chad border'(23 May) Audio report from IFRC Deputy Regional Director for Africa (17 May) Press release about an IFRC shipment of aid arriving in Port Sudan (16 May) Audio update from IFRC Africa Migration and Displacement Coordinator (5 May) SciDev.net article 'Sudan conflict leaves health system in 'total collapse'quotingIFRC Head of Country office for Sudan (27 April) Audio report from IFRC Operations Manager in Sudan, Mohamed El Amin Ibrahim (26 April) ABC interview with Farid Abdulkadir, IFRC Head of Country office for Sudan (25 April) Al Jazeera English interview with Farid Abdulkadir, IFRC Head of Country office for Sudan (20 April) Reuters article 'Almost impossible to provide aid in Sudanese capital', quotingIFRC Head of Country office for Sudan (April 18) Other languages: (Arabic) AlQAhera interview with IFRC MENA Regional Head of Disasters (28 April) (Arabic) AlQAhera interview with IFRC Head of Country office for Sudan (25 April) (Spanish) El Pais article quotingOsama Osman, Director of Communications at the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (19 April) Media enquiries If you are a journalist and would like more information or to request an interview about this emergency, please contact [email protected] Follow these Twitter accounts for the latest updates: IFRC Africa Regional Team: @IFRCAfrica Sudanese Red Crescent Society: @SRCS_SD Farid Abdulkadir, IFRC Head of Country office for Sudan: @FARID1969 @IFRC Donations If you would like to donate to help us support people affected by the conflict in Sudan, please click here. We are grateful for your valuable support. You can learn more about donating to the IFRC here.

The Empress Shôken Fund (ESF) is named after Her Majesty Empress Shôken of Japan who – at the 9th International Conference of the Red Cross – proposed the creation of an international fund to promote relief work in peacetime. The fund is administered by the Joint Commission of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which maintains close contact with the Permanent Mission of Japan in Geneva, the Japanese Red Cross Society and the Meiji Jingu Intercultural Research Institute in Japan. The imperial family, the Japanese government, the Japanese Red Cross and the Japanese people revere the memory of Her Majesty Empress Shôken, and their enduring regard for the Fund is evidenced by the regularity of their contributions to it. The Fund has a total value of more than 14 million Swiss francs and supports projects run by National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies that benefit the communities they serve in many different ways. The first grant was awarded in 1921 to help five European National Societies fight the spread of tuberculosis. Since then, more than15 million Swiss francs have been allocated to 171 National Societies. The grants are announced every year on 11April, the anniversary of the death of Her Majesty Empress Shôken. Increasingly, the Fund encourages new and innovative approaches with the potential to generate insights that will benefit our International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. 2023 selection process The Fund received 51 applications in 2022 for the 102nd distribution of income, covering a diverse range of humanitarian projects run by National Societies globally. The applications submitted featured more innovative proposals than in previous years, further confirming the need for the ESF to support innovation and experimentation within National Societies. This year the Joint Commission agreed to allocate a total of 367,187 Swiss francs to 13 projects in Albania, Belgium, Burundi, Eswatini, Fiji, Guinea, Honduras, Indonesia, Paraguay, Sudan, Syria, Thailand and Uruguay. The world’s current crises have impacted the performance of the fund, and ESF Joint Commission members have adjusted the process accordingly. This year the projects selected cover a variety of topics, including first aid and rescue, youth, disaster preparedness, health, and National Society development (NSD). The 2023 grants by theme The Fund continues to encourage new and innovative approaches, and this is clearly reflected in the selection of proposals to receive funding. Some National Societies are incubating and testing their innovative solutions and experimenting with a host of ideas and approaches. With their pilot methodology, they could potentially scale up and implement their initiatives with the support of other funding sources.In this category, the selected grantees are as follows: Pilot methodology The Honduran Red Cross has taken an innovative approach to volunteer empowerment and engagement. The goal of its project is to establish a fund that supports innovative micro-projects developed and led by local volunteers. This will help forge stronger links between the National Society and the communities it serves. It has designed a pilot with 12 micro-projects, responding to an identified need to grow activity at the branch level. The Uruguayan Red Cross is focusing efforts on improving mental health resilience among young people by providing training in schools, creating psychosocial support mechanisms and forming youth brigades. There is a growing need for youth mental health support, and this pilot in two schools will give the team an opportunity to learn and adapt their approach. The Indonesian Red Cross Society will pilot a community-based approach to environmental awareness and food security. A renovated community learning centre will be used to launch the pilot, which will engage over 100 stay-at-home spouses and 30 children. The project aims to tackle emerging issues, such as climate change, while building stronger community connections. Many National Societies have prioritized innovative solutions to combat the challenges of climate change. In this category, the selected beneficiaries, in addition to the Indonesian Red Cross Society, are as follows. Climate change Flooding is one of the most devastating natural hazards. The Belgian Red Cross will engage and empower young people impacted by floods to express and share their feelings on climate change through digital story telling. Simple to replicate and scalable, this initiative has the potential to give us tremendous insight and allow for powerful messages to be shared. As a means of addressing the challenges of climate change, the Burundi Red Cross will engage in implementing activities such as tree planting and promoting improved city waste management. The project is a youth volunteer-led initiative that will reduce youth unemployment. This comprehensive approach will result in significant learning opportunities. The Paraguayan Red Cross will develop a mobile app that will serve as an early warning system and educate communities on how they can respond to flooding in seven community districts. This solution is scalable, innovative and a sustainable approach to addressing community needs. Finally, the last group of beneficiaries will use their grants to address issues related to disaster preparedness, health and youth. In this category, the selected grantees are as follows. Disaster preparedness The Baphalali Eswatini Red Cross Society will improve data management processes for effective decision-making during emergencies in Eswatini by 2025. The main idea is to integrate and mainstream a mobile phone app dashboard into the existing National Society information management system and increase community participation (affected communities) in information sharing and management. Thailand is prone to natural hazards, which often cause devastating damage and loss of lives. Therefore, the Thai Red Cross Society aims to improve disaster readiness, mainly for earthquakes, by training children and young people using virtual reality simulation. The Sudanese Red Crescent will use the funds to support flood-affected women, providing them with cash, grants and livelihood tools to allow them to start their own business. The aim is to build resilience and longer-term recovery contexts for current and future crises by empowering the most vulnerable in a self-sustaining way. Health The Red Cross Society of Guinea will focus on developing a mobile health app to comprehensively improve the quality of basic emergency obstetric and neonatal care, especially for complex deliveries, with a view to reducing maternal and newborn mortality. Youth According to figures on human trafficking, Albania is a primary source country and the non-EU European country with the second highest number of victims. To address this threat, the Albanian Red Cross will use the grant to train staff and volunteers, with a view to activating peer-to-peer prevention in high schools. The National Society will reach out to other sister National Societies to build a strong network of certified trainers who will raise awareness through peer-to-peer activities. The Fiji Red Cross Society aims to overhaul its current volunteer programme, using the grant to implement end-to-end digitization to enhance the onboarding experience and increase the quality and cost-effectiveness of volunteer management. The idea is to also include community-level training that will generate meaningful learning and be easily replicable elsewhere. At present, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent has more than 18,000 staff and volunteers across its local branches who support it in carrying out its humanitarian mission. With a view to scaling up branch development by complementing other initiatives, the National Society will use the grant to digitize its policies for online courses that can be freely accessed at any time, making training more convenient for its network of staff and volunteers. ESF and learning The Fund constantly strives to generate insights from the projects implemented for the benefit of the whole Movement and to diversify its learning materials. Later this year, the Fund will join with the stakeholders of the other NSD funding mechanisms, namely the Capacity Building Fund (CBF) and the National Society Investment Alliance (NSIA),for a learning event, with the aim of sharing lessons learned and experiences from grantees across the different funds. It is important to recognize the diversity of National Societies within the network and the wide range of NSD support that is needed. The ESF and the other funding mechanisms (which focus more on NSD) operate in a complementary way, and togethertheyhave the capacity to meet this array of NSD and learning needs and support a broader transformation in our network.

Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing one of the most alarming food crises in decades—immense in both its severity and geographic scope.Roughly 146 million people are suffering from acute food insecurity and require urgent humanitarian assistance. The crisis is driven by a range of local and global factors, including insecurity and armed conflict, extreme weather events, climate variability and negative macroeconomic impacts. Through this regional Emergency Appeal, the IFRC is supporting many Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies across Africa to protect the lives, livelihoods and prospects of millions of people.

Building Trust during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Humanitarian Settings is our global programme supporting Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to build trust in public health responses and in the work of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Heavy rains in Sudan from July to September 2020 caused devastating flooding, destruction of infrastructure and homes, killed more than 100 people and displaced thousands across the country. All 18 states of Sudan were affected and overall needs in the country have continued to grow due to a severe economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. In July and August 2022, further severe flooding occurred claiming more lives and making an already precarious situation for many communities even worse.

Geneva/Nairobi, 28 January 2021 – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is appealing to donors for 20 million Swiss francs to urgently expand its response to the acute humanitarian needs created by the Tigray crisis in Ethiopia, while the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is appealing for 27 million Swiss francs to support the Ethiopian Red Cross Society, the Sudanese Red Crescent Society and the Djibouti Red Crescent Society to address other drivers of vulnerability in the region. Many people have been displaced within Tigray, and almost 60,000 sought refuge in Sudan. Refugees and people displaced within the region suffer from a lack of food and essential services, like water and healthcare. Some healthcare facilities in Tigray were abandoned and looted, while others are running short of supplies and are struggling to cope with the growing demand. Thousands have lost contact with their loved ones. "The needs in Tigray are overwhelming. Government responses need to accelerate, and humanitarian organizations urgently need access so people can receive lifesaving assistance before it's too late," said Patrick Youssef, the ICRC’s regional director for Africa. "Humanitarian access outside major towns remains challenging and there is little visibility on the humanitarian situation in rural areas." "The recent developments in Tigray have compounded other existing vulnerabilities in Ethiopia and in neighbouring Sudan and Djibouti. Even before the fighting, the region was dealing with acute food insecurity, an invasion of desert locusts, drought and the COVID-19 pandemic," said Mohammed Mukhier, regional director for Africa at IFRC. The Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS), present across the country, including Tigray, has been providing humanitarian assistance since the first day of the fighting, working alongside the ICRC. The ERCS counts on a large network of volunteers who remained active despite being affected by the crisis themselves. The ICRC has been working in Tigray for decades and maintained its operations throughout the fighting that erupted almost three months ago. Supporting hospitals in Mekelle, Axum, Adwa and Shire has been a priority. Following some of its initial assistance missions, which included sending the first humanitarian convoy into Mekelle and helping some 11,300 families reestablish contact, the ICRC is appealing to donors for funds needed to reinforce its operational capacity. It is expanding its presence in Mekelle and re-opening an office in Shire. Besides scaling up its presence in Tigray, the ICRC will continue addressing the alarming humanitarian situation in Benishangul-Gumuz, Western Oromia and Guji, where armed violence episodes have been recurrent. The Sudanese Red Crescent has been distributing food, household items and providing primary health services to refugees and communities hosting them. The IFRC released emergency funds to enable the Sudanese Red Crescent Society to assist 40,000 people. The Djibouti Red Crescent Society maintains a presence in Hol Hol refugee camp and Obock, where it provides water and sanitation services and works to promote hygiene and raise COVID-19 awareness. The IFRC is appealing for funds to enable the Ethiopian Red Cross Society, the Sudanese Red Crescent Society and the Djibouti Red Crescent Society to deliver humanitarian assistance and recovery support to 660,000 people. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the world's largest humanitarian network. It consists of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. ICRC action: The town of Mekelle has been struggling with a shortage of water in recent months and the ICRC has been supplying water to 3,700 people a day through water trucking and storage tank installations. It provided medical assistance to 4,500 people wounded by weapons and 10,900 primary healthcare patients. 648 weapon-wounded people received physical rehabilitation services. The organization has distributed 35 metric tons of food received from the Ministry of Health and Catholic Relief Services to four hospitals in Tigray. Almost 9,500 displaced people in Mekelle received essential household items. 11,300 families reestablished contact through the Ethiopian Red Cross, the Sudanese Red Crescent and the ICRC services in Sudan and Ethiopia. IFRC action: In November, the IFRC released funds to the Ethiopian Red Cross Society to target 7,500 affected people in Amhara to improve their access to health, water and sanitation, shelter and livelihood support for four months. The IFRC also released emergency funds to the Sudanese Red Crescent Society to provide emergency services to 40,000 Ethiopian refugees in Sudan. The Sudanese Red Crescent Society works in Hamdayit and Al Lukdi centres and Um-Rakoba settlement to provide shelter, household items, health services, improved water and sanitation, and to carry out gender protection and inclusion activities. In all the three countries, the IFRC continued supporting National Societies to mitigate the impact of COVID-19.

Khartoum/Nairobi/Geneva, 23 November 2020 – The Sudanese Red Crescent Society has scaled up its operation at the border with Ethiopia to support the growing number of Ethiopian refugees coming into the country. Since fighting began in Ethiopia’s Tigray region on 5 November, more than 30,000 people have crossed the border into Sudan and the number is increasing by the day. At the transit centres located in Lukdi in Gedaref and Hamdaiet in Kassala state, there is an urgent and immediate need for food and water, shelter, first aid and medical care as well as psychosocial support. The Red Crescent has distributed emergency relief items to 500 families and is mobilising more support from partners and the Sudanese government. Dr Afaf Yahya, Sudanese Red Crescent Secretary General, said: “We have completed construction of four communal shelters, seven communal kitchens and four emergency latrine blocks. We have also rehabilitated the road from Doka to Um Rakoba to speed up and ease the transportation of the refugees to settlement camps.” In Kassala state, the Red Crescent is operating in two clinics where health and nutrition screenings and medical consultations are being conducted. Red Crescent teams are providing psychosocial support and transferring those with complicated medical conditions and in need of surgery to hospitals. “We are concerned by the rate at which humanitarian needs are growing. Many of the refugees are exhausted and hungry from the long distances they have walked to reach here. They are worried about the families they left behind and from the look on children’s faces, they are evidently deeply affected to by what is happening,” said Dr Yahya. Mohammed Omer Mukhier, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Regional Director for Africa, said: “The needs at the border transit points and settlement camps remain high. There is an urgent need for more emergency shelter for refugees, who are still arriving in big numbers. Distribution centres need to be constructed and existing health centres also need to be rehabilitated.” The Sudanese Red Crescent Society—which has an expansive network of 400,000 volunteers across the country—has also mobilised volunteers to assist with temperature checks and registration at border transit points. The Red Crescent has responded to previous population movement crises including, the South Sudanese refugee’ emergency. This influx of refugees comes at a time when Sudan is already in the throes of a major and complex humanitarian emergency. Unprecedented flooding since July has left over 875,000 people in need of humanitarian assistance. Food crops already depleted due to a desert locust invasion, and livestock have been wiped out. Soaring inflation has led to prices skyrocketing, and stagnant and contaminated water continue to pose a serious health risk alongside the threat of COVID-19. Kassala State—an area heavily affected by the flooding—is now hosting incoming refugees, adding further strain to resources and local communities.

Geneva, 15 October – The Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) has returned from Sudan, where unprecedented flooding has killed more than 100 people and left over 875,000 people in need of humanitarian assistance – about half of whom are children. On his first overseas mission since taking office in February 2020, Jagan Chapagain met Sudanese communities in the throes of a major and complex humanitarian emergency – as flooding, soaring inflation, a deteriorating health situation and the ongoing risk of COVID-19 threaten to undo the country’s development progress of recent years. Speaking about his visit to Algamayer camp on the outskirts of Khartoum, the Secretary General said: “I was not prepared for what I saw. The conditions are simply appalling. The people I met in the camp are angry and told me they haven’t received anywhere near the kind of support that they need. They told me they need shelter, clean water and access to basic sanitation. These are the kind of conditions that can lead to disease and even worse suffering.” Across Sudan, at least 175,000 houses have been destroyed leaving thousands of families homeless. Food crops and livestock have also been wiped out, and with soaring inflation leading to the cost of food skyrocketing by nearly 200 per cent, communities are facing crisis levels of food insecurity. “These are just numbers. They don’t convey the real human impact of this crisis. What really struck me was the toll the floods have taken on children, women, and other vulnerable groups. In fact, in many ways, this is a children’s emergency. About half of all those affected are children,” continued Mr Chapagain. Red Crescent volunteers are present in all 18 regions of Sudan and have been providing vital humanitarian assistance since the flooding hit. Support includes search and rescue operations, first aid and psychosocial support, distributing food and emergency items and assisting families to move to higher ground. In September, IFRC launched an emergency appeal for 12 million Swiss francs to meaningfully extend this support, which currently sits at only 15% funded. “I met volunteers and frontline staff from the Sudanese Red Crescent who are working tirelessly to support their communities, but they don’t have the cash or the tools to do so. We need to help them, and we need to help the people of Sudan. The consequences of failing the people of Sudan at this juncture could be severe,” Mr Chapagain concluded.

Nairobi/Geneva, 11 September 2020 — The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) today launched an additional funds appeal for 12 million Swiss Francs to support the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) in delivering assistance to people affected by flooding. Since July 2020, heavy rainfall has been escalating in Sudan and today, 16 of the 18 states are flooded. Sinnar, Khartoum, and Al Gezira are the most affected states. Teams of Red Crescent volunteers are helping people to move to higher ground and providing emergency support to the most vulnerable people affected by the disaster. Elfadil Eltahir, SRCS President, said: “The magnitude of the flooding disaster is unprecedented. The situation is getting worse as water continues to rise by the hour, covering new areas and causing more devastation. To cope with this dire situation, more humanitarian assistance is badly and urgently needed in order to alleviate the suffering of those affected, by protecting their health, life and dignity.” The flooding has affected more than 500,000 people who are all in need of shelter, household items, health and care, water, hygiene, sanitation, food and other basic needs. The SRCS will assist at least 200,000 of these people. Across the country, women, girls, children, older people, migrants — as well as people with disabilities and underlying conditions, remain at risk. John Roche, IFRC’s Head of East Africa Office said: “This is an unfolding situation as information comes from those on the frontline, the testimonies of the devastation and loss is overwhelming. More than 100,000 homes so far have been reported to have been carried away by the floods, food crops have been destroyed, access to clean drinking water becomes precarious as many face increased exposure to water- and vector-borne disease.” The SRCS will use the funds from the emergency appeal to provide emergency shelter materials, safe drinking water and hygiene materials, primary health care to prevent disease outbreaks, psychosocial support and cash grants for food and basic needs. Communities and families want to stay close together and move as a group and it is difficult to implement Covid-19 preventive measures. In addition, the funds will also help volunteers to share life-saving information on waterborne disease prevention, risk avoidance, and early warning systems on possible flooding or landslide threats. More volunteers will be trained on how to conduct assessment and monitoring. The Sudan floods are yet another example of the increasing climate risks we face around the world. Global leaders such as IFRC President Francesco Rocca — who have been meeting this week to address these challenges during a global climate summit (Climate:Red) with 10,000 participants from 195 countries — indicated that climate change is one of the IFRC’s top priorities for the coming decade, and will require a combination of increased response to emergencies such as the one we now face in Sudan, but also increased efforts to help communities to adapt and reduce the rising risks.