Sudan

Sudan is one of the poorest countries worldwide with around 15% of the population living on less than $1.90 (R27) a day. When South Sudan became an independent state in 2011, Sudan lost crucial oil revenue and the economy became even more unstable. Now a staggering 4.8 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Sudan, including 3.5 million people who are without a stable source of food.

With the 2013 conflict in neighbouring South Sudan, more than 260,000 South Sudanese refugees have since fled across the border to Sudan, placing an ever-great pressure on the economy and resources. What’s more, ongoing internal conflict has led to large-scale displacement within Sudan.

Furthermore, seasonal and climate-based pressures continue to impact on local agriculture and food sources, with Sudan directly exposed to the effects of El Niño.

For many people in Sudan life can be particularly challenging:

• 73% of the population do not have access to adequate sanitary facilities (UNICEF, 2017)
• 7 out of every 100 children do not reach their 5th birthday (World Bank, 2016)
• Over a third of young people cannot read or write (UNESCO, 2008)
• 27% of children do not attend primary school (UNICEF, 2017)

Islamic Relief in Sudan

Sudan is the first country that Islamic Relief worked in responding to the famine in 1984. Since then, Islamic Relief has expanded significantly to provide a range of nutritional, food, education, livelihood and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) support across the country.

We’ve been responding to climate disasters such as droughts and floods by providing essential aid and have implemented a variety of health and WASH support to local and displaced populations. With the recent East Africa food crisis, we are continuing to provide emergency food, medical and shelter assistance as part of our East Africa emergency appeal.

We also offer educational and livelihood support by rebuilding and equipping schools and offering vocational training and essential equipment for farmers and livestock owners. Lastly, we continue to provide seasonal Qurbani and Ramadan food assistance.