Prior to the outbreak of the April 2023 armed conflict, Sudan was already experiencing a serious humanitarian crisis. Decades of political instability and economic pressure has left close to 15.8 million people in dire need of humanitarian relief. This situation has been worsened by armed aggression between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which erupted into a large-scale conflict in April 2023. It has exacerbated the desperate conditions in the country of 25.6 million people including 14 million in need of essential life-saving assistance. With over 8.1 million people displaced internally and across the border, Sudan is the world’s largest displacement crisis. It is one of the top four countries, globally confronted with a prevalence of acute malnutrition, affecting 34% of the population. Incidents of cholera and dengue fever extend across the country. Civilians are faced with scarcity of reliable housing and medical supplies and treatment. With no-end in sight of the power struggle, active violence and road blockages have presented an immense security and logistical challenge in delivering much-needed life-saving assistance to the vulnerable population. For instance, research showed that by December 2023, only a meagre 16% of aid was able to reach those in need in Sudan. Amidst faltering diplomatic efforts, humanitarian needs are expected to continue rising. In the complex context of a civilian population faced with a deteriorating humanitarian crisis that has, to a large extent, remained inaccessible to international aid agencies, youth-driven volunteer networks—Emergency Room Responders (ERR)—have emerged as a critical lifeline to this access to emergency supplies and, by extension, to the humanitarian action agenda in Sudan. About the Emergency Room Responders (ERRs) The Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) has endorsed ERR’s crucial role in Sudan's humanitarian action agenda and nominated it for a Nobel Peace Prize. A youth-based grassroots volunteer network that draws its ethos from Sudan’s rich heritage of the collective mobilisation Nafeer, ERR’s rise predates the current conflict. In bouts of the country's experience of economic stagnation catalysed by protracted conflicts, sanctions and political repression, different neighbourhood-based interest groups have coalesced clamouring for change. ERRs arose in 2019 during the mass pro-democracy protests that led to the expulsion of President Omar Al Bashir and were operative in times of crises such as during the pandemic, rolling out mutual aid efforts. ‘There is respect from the community for those people who are doing... you know, [doing] services for the communities...[we] are the only providers of aid on the ground.’ (Field interview by Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform). Since the war began, ERR has provided essential life-saving assistance such as food, water, shelter, and medicine and assisted in evacuation efforts. They have provided medical assistance and maternal health services and organised communal kitchens and day care centres. A network of about 700 volunteers across the country, the volunteers have reached more than 4 million people. With no humanitarian corridor, ERR’s access to localities and their adaptive methods have made them critical first responders in the crisis. Local knowledge and the relationship with the communities they serve have afforded them trust and legitimacy, hence operational advantage in identifying needs, reporting on the crisis, and aid distribution. ERRs model of governance is participatory, inclusive of a decentralised framework and averts bureaucracy, with some being more structured than in other states. In Khartoum state, for instance, by May 2023, a parliamentary body was formed with each of the 7 districts allocated 3 representation taking key consideration of gender balance. Moreover, they voted upon a charter that established a clear mandate and that espouses transparency, equality, participation and accountability. Subsequently, they formed executive committees for management and administration aspects and speciality committees on health, protection and gender among others. With an organisational structure, ERR were able to form collaboration mechanisms with international humanitarian agencies such as the Localisation Coordination Council that fosters complementarity of work and effective localisation. ‘In the emergency room, there is no hierarchy. Everyone, whether a founder or a newcomer, has a role based on their capabilities.” (Field interview by Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform). The network’s high-level organisation has not diminished its hyper-local work, which is based on grassroots assessment of needs. The network has repeatedly received training, resources, and networking opportunities that have improved its communication and coordination skills and organisational structure, aiming to ensure efficiency and resilience in its work. Delivering aid in a constrained humanitarian space comes with risks. ERRs have faced threats of life, forced displacement, arbitrary arrests, extortion, false accusations of espionage by warring parties and sexual violence against female ERRs.Aside from the physical toll of a war, ERRs have reported mental health effects such as anxiety, depression and insomnia. The volunteers face unequal burden and risk as the only actors delivering immediate assistance. The volunteers have also lamented the inconsistent, inflexible and indirect funding that impacted the sustainability of their interventions such as operating soup kitchens. Despite rhetoric around the importance of working in tandem with national NGOs and CSOs in Sudan being raised globally, little concrete action has been undertaken in localisation efforts. Much support to ERRs have been mobilised from private fundraising initiatives by the Sudanese diaspora community along with one-off grants from international agencies. Pathway to Localisation Complementarity and coordination of efforts in delivering life-saving emergency assistance between ERRs and international humanitarian agencies have the potential to serve as a case study for localizations of humanitarian and development action and mutual aid efforts that can be transferred or replicated in similar realities. Partnerships between the two actors have to be equal, bound by mutual respect and shared values, cognizant of capacity to respond, and committed to permitting local leadership. ERRs’ vital role in fostering hope within the context of a desperate humanitarian crisis brings to the fore discussion on the engagement of the local youth population in tackling crises and participating in development issues. Young people have skills that are imperative for effective emergency repose and building resilience communities post-emergency period. Local youth involvement in humanitarian action not only empowers them with transferable skills but also invigorates their passion for participation.
