Evolving dynamics of the Sudan conflict: Implications for humanitarian action and civil society
Children playing in Khartoum, Sudan. Credit: Ammar Nasiir @ Unspash
Sudan's conflict has entered its third year with devastating consequences for millions of civilians and the country's stability. As military violence escalates and the humanitarian crisis deepens, civil society organisations and humanitarian actors face an increasingly complex operational environment.
This report, written by Abdel-Monim El Jak, examines the rapidly evolving dynamics reshaping Sudan's landscape since April 2023, with particular focus on how these transformations impact humanitarian action and civil society work.
Through analysis of current challenges—including restricted aid access, shifting political dynamics, and operational constraints—this paper provides strategic recommendations for adapting humanitarian responses and supporting civil society resilience in Sudan's changing context.
Key recommendations from the report
1. Humanitarian response strategies need to mirror the reality of geographic and political fragmentation, with four areas under the control of different parties to the conflict, and adopt distinct, decentralised approaches nested within any overarching approach. This area-based approach can build on the distinct and varying capacities of local civil society and humanitarian actors to strengthen their resilience.
2. Diplomatic efforts must pragmatically engage with recent political and military developments, including addressing the challenges of sovereignty and legitimacy to ease access for humanitarian actors outside SAF control. Lessons can be drawn from comparative action in Yemen, Syria and Sudan Lifeline Operation. To achieve this, consider establishing a joint council of official humanitarian agencies working in areas controlled by different parties to the conflict and establishing dedicated civilian communication channels — not military or security — between parties to the conflict and civil society to ease coordination and support aid operations. Insist parties to the conflict protect the impartiality and independence of humanitarian action. This includes refraining from militarising humanitarian aid, as well as the surveillance and persecution of volunteers, organisations and staff, and cutting bureaucratic constraints and orders.
3. Consider smart sanctions to respond to allegations of the use of humanitarian aid as a weapon of war. Advocate for a United Nations (UN) Security Council resolution to reflect the humanitarian impact of the current military-security and political developments. This should include provisions related to access to aid, its security, monitoring of its distribution, and the protection of all humanitarian workers.
4. Co-create an international conference on the humanitarian crisis with local civil society, bringing together leaders from grassroots groups, mutual aid, independent civil society, political blocs and international agencies. The conference should be inclusive with collective ownership to address the humanitarian crisis. International actors should recognise and support diverse local expertise to ensure an inclusive approach to humanitarian action
About the author
Abdel-Monim El Jak is a consultant with CDAC Network’s Local Lifelines Sudan project. He has worked as a political analyst, advisor, and a democracy, peace and human rights specialist since 2000. Abdel-Monim consulted on peace, political processes, and civic engagement during his work as a senior staffer with the UN mission in Khartoum, the United States Agency for International Development in Juba, and with the Forum of Federation.