Mendy Hameda Abdurasul is a humanitarian practitioner and Programs Manager at HRRDS–Sudan, specialising in emergency response, community engagement, and humanitarian programming that supports internally displaced, PWLDs and conflict-affected communities across Sudan.

In recent months, the scale of Sudan’s conflict and its devastating humanitarian consequences have become impossible to ignore. Images of displacement, destroyed infrastructure, and communities struggling to survive have circulated widely. Yet alongside this growing visibility is another troubling reality: the slow and often inadequate global response, coupled with deeply unequal funding allocations to address Sudan’s immense humanitarian needs.

Sudan has endured decades of protracted conflicts since its independence. Much of this history has been shaped by localised, often tribal-based tensions that have limited development across social, economic, and governance systems. Regions such as Darfur and Kordofan have long been at the center of these crises, experiencing cycles of violence that have marginalised communities and hindered sustainable growth.

Today, however, Sudan’s conflict has taken a different and more alarming form. What was once largely concentrated in peripheral regions has now expanded into the country’s political and economic heart: Khartoum, the capital itself and its proximate towns. This shift has disrupted the social, political, and economic fabric of Sudanese society in unprecedented ways, leaving millions in urgent need of basic and humanitarian assistance.

Amid this crisis, local Sudanese initiatives have emerged as some of the most immediate and effective responders. Community-led groups such as Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) and other local Sudanese-led organisations have mobilised quickly to support affected populations. Through grassroots networks and community solidarity, they have organised food distributions, established community kitchens, and provided essential non-food assistance to vulnerable families.

However, much of this life-saving work has not been supported through formal humanitarian funding channels. Instead, many local initiatives have turned to crowdfunding as a primary means of sustaining their operations. Online fundraising campaigns, diaspora contributions, and small community donations have become critical sources of support, enabling local actors to respond where international systems have struggled to reach.

This reality exposes a significant yet basic contradiction within the global humanitarian system. While international discourse increasingly promotes “localisation”, the principle of empowering local actors and shifting resources closer to affected communities, the practical implementation of this idea remains limited. Funding mechanisms continue to be largely controlled by international organisations that operate as intermediaries, often setting conditions and requirements that do not align with the realities faced by local responders on the ground.

For Sudanese civil society organisations, navigating these structures is extremely challenging. Complex donor regulations, rigid compliance frameworks, and limited direct funding opportunities make it difficult for local actors to build institutional capacity or secure sustainable financial support. As a result, many organisations remain dependent on short-term or small grants that are insufficient even to maintain basic administrative functions, let alone deliver impactful humanitarian programs.

Across Sudan, from Darfur and Kordofan to Gezira and beyond, local responders continue to operate under immense pressure with limited resources. Despite their deep understanding of community needs and their ability to mobilise rapidly in times of crisis, they remain largely excluded from meaningful participation in humanitarian financing and capacity-strengthening initiatives.

Yet their importance cannot be overstated. Local organisations and volunteer networks have repeatedly demonstrated that they are often the first to respond and the last to leave when crises unfold. Their proximity to communities, cultural understanding, and trust within local populations allow them to act quickly and effectively where larger systems may falter.

If the humanitarian community is serious about localisation, then the current approach must change. Local responders should not be treated as peripheral partners or temporary implementers. They must be recognised as central actors in humanitarian response, with direct access to resources, long-term capacity development, and genuine inclusion in decision-making processes.

Sudan’s local initiatives have shown remarkable resilience, sustaining life-saving interventions even through crowdfunding and community solidarity. But resilience alone should not be the expectation. Meaningful and sustained support is necessary to ensure that these actors can continue their vital work and deliver the lasting impact that Sudan’s communities urgently need.