Localization

When the Sudan conflict erupted in April 2023, Sudanese nationals were the first to respond to the urgent needs of their families and communities. To this day, they remain at the forefront of the emergency response. All efforts to advance the localization agenda in addressing the Sudan regional crisis ultimately pay tribute to Sudanese women and men, many of them highly skilled professionals, as well as the youth, who have leveraged every possible resource and avenue to serve the Sudanese population at large.

Women in particular have played a critical role in the process. Inside Sudan, women doctors established the Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) on 16 April 2025 – as quickly as a day after the conflict broke out in Sudan – paving the way for ERRs to serve as first line responders in the country. “From the people, to the people”, the ERR movement seeks to support forcibly displaced and host communities across the country.

In parallel, Sudanese women have mobilized themselves across countries of asylum to ensure refugees, particularly women, are able to access registration of families. They have formed organizations and associations to facilitate delivery of critical and much-needed basic services. Women have spoken out on rights violations, abuse, and exploitation, including conflict-related sexual violence, and they continue to contribute to the ongoing peace processes.  

These efforts by Sudanese to respond to the crisis have been further accelerated and enhanced by their neighbours in countries of asylum and return, who have strong links to Sudan. Many consider those who are fleeing as brothers and sisters, from one community, with shared values, including language, culture, and religion. These efforts, both inside Sudan and in neighbouring countries, have largely been sustained by the Sudanese diaspora, which provides financing and technical support by leveraging existing professional networks (for example, the Sudanese Doctors Syndicate).

The value addition of local actors to the response of the emergency is evident: they have leveraged their network, been incredibly quick and agile to deliver aid, and continually find ways to access the population even in the most conflict prone areas. Most of the response has been financed by the diaspora as part of a survival strategy – because significant financial support has not been forthcoming from donors - highlighting both the generosity of the Sudanese and the failure of the international system to finance and meaningfully support local actors.  

The localization approach pursued in response to the Sudan regional crisis seeks to shift power to the people, thereby recognizing their leadership and agency on the ground. Investing in local actors, including Women-Led Organizations (WLOs), lays the foundations for sustainable responses because it invests in people who have demonstrated their commitment and accountability to their communities and displaced persons. 

• The policy environment supporting localization efforts differs from country to country. Countries with progressive policies, like Uganda and South Sudan among others, allow the establishment and financing of WLOs. In other countries of asylum, such as Egypt and Ethiopia, additional policy advocacy is required to facilitate the registration of WLOs. Similarly, in Sudan, additional advocacy is needed to enable WLOs to be registered and allowed to receive financing.
• Commitments made at the Grand Bargain and at the Global Refugee Forum in 2023 by host states and non-state actors seek to advance localization efforts in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, CAR, Chad, Egypt, and Ethiopia. These commitments center on the need to increase funding to local and national actors, promoting equitable partnerships and participation in decision-making and investing in capacity strengthening and leadership of local actors. Yet progress has been slow, with local actors reporting shrinking humanitarian space, aid cuts, and reduced technical support.  

• Local actors are frequently perceived as service providers, as implementing agencies, with decision-making still dominated by international agencies. Yet those leading the localization approach are change makers and peace advocates, many of whom are closely linked with ongoing peace processes in Sudan.
• WLOs often lack visibility and access to donors, which lead to missed opportunities. For example, in Central African Republic, the government has allocated 10 hectares of arable land in Vakaga Province yet women working in the agriculture sector do not have sufficient access to tools and seeds required to work the land.
• Direct funding to local actors is far below target, and cuts in aid, technical support, and training have further weakened local NGOs.
• Local actors face compliance burdens, including without adequate resources to meet stringent reporting requirements. 

Since conflict erupted in April 2023, Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) have become a cornerstone of Sudanese-led humanitarian action. Rooted in the tradition of ‘nafeer’ (collective mutual aid), these volunteer-driven networks deliver life-saving assistance where access is limited. ERRs provide essential services such as food distribution, health facility support, water repairs, medicine delivery, safe evacuations, psychosocial first aid, and temporary learning spaces. Their decentralized structures spanning neighborhood, state, and national levels enable rapid, flexible responses while connecting to broader coordination platforms like the Localization Coordination Committee. ERRs exemplify the power of community-led solutions in crisis settings, highlighting the need to invest in local capacities and grassroots leadership for sustainable humanitarian action. 

Founded in 1995, the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) is a regional women’s rights organization working across Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Somaliland, Uganda, and beyond to advance gender equality and social justice in contexts of conflict and displacement. With over 220 member organizations, SIHA unites diverse women leaders into a strong feminist movement. Since the Sudan crisis began, SIHA has been a critical voice documenting rights violations, monitoring protection risks, and advocating for survivor-centered responses to conflict-related sexual violence. Beyond advocacy, SIHA strengthens grassroots women-led organizations through grants, capacity building, research, and cross-border collaboration. As part of the Regional Women-Led Organization Support Platform, SIHA brings deep regional expertise, evidence-based advocacy, and longstanding community partnerships, amplifying women’s leadership and influence in humanitarian response. As part of the Regional Support Platform for WLOs, SIHA brings deep regional expertise, evidence-based advocacy, and longstanding community partnerships, amplifying women’s leadership and influence in humanitarian response.

Mutawinat is a Sudanese women-led organization committed to justice, peace, and human dignity. Despite escalating violence and shrinking humanitarian space, Mutawinat remains one of the few community-rooted structures operating across multiple states in Sudan. Its teams provide life-saving legal aid, documentation support, protection services, and awareness sessions for refugees, internally displaced persons, and host communities – all critical work as formal institutions collapse and millions are displaced. Women responders face heightened risks, including harassment, movement restrictions, and trauma, yet continue because their communities rely on them. Mutawinat calls for urgent support: flexible funding for women-led and displaced-led organizations, investment in legal aid and protection services, and renewed global attention to Sudan and the women leading its response.