Sudan: CDAC portal for responders

resource portal

11 May

4 January 2025, Adre, Chad. Sudanese refugees who have fled the conflict in Sudan register for food aid in neighbouring Chad. Picture: FCDO/Russell Watkins.

Since April 2023, a devastating civil war in Sudan has resulted in what has been described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. With over 150,000 people killed, 13 million displaced, and over 25 million in need of humanitarian aid, Sudan also faces the world's largest hunger crisis. This is most exacerbated by funding cuts, including the closure of nearly 80% of emergency food kitchens in early 2025 due to the cancellation of USAID funding.

Communication and information challenges

The conflict has also intensified the use of harmful information. Warring parties have weaponised the internet, enforcing shutdowns and spreading propaganda via social media, making it difficult to report on the crisis. Misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech (MDH) have fueled violence, worsened displacement and overwhelmed public services. Harmful narratives, both online and offline, have endangered aid workers and restricted civilians' access to essential assistance.

Sidelining of local actors

While local actors, such as mutual aid groups like Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) and the Sudanese diaspora, are at the forefront of humanitarian response in Sudan, they, unfortunately, remain largely excluded from decision-making processes and formal coordination structures within the international aid system.

What is CDAC doing?

CDAC Network has engaged in the Local Lifelines project to improve the humanitarian information ecosystem and support an enabling environment for greater localised humanitarian action in Sudan. It responds to a gap in coordination and information sharing between local actors and international IASC structures, and aims to strengthen existing local networks for the provision of accurate and actionable information to crisis-affected communities and humanitarian response actors. CDAC works with its members to draw attention to the work they are doing while bridging knowledge and support to local actors and communities.