Humanity United Supports Localized Aid Models in Sudan
Summary
In 2024, Humanity United committed $25,000 toward the Call to Action Sudan Fund by the end of 2024, as part of the Strengthening Local Humanitarian Leadership Philanthropic Collaborative (LHL) initiative. This initiative will form a coalition and contribute $6.5 million to locally led aid and mutual aid groups in Sudan. The ongoing conflict in Sudan has resulted in one of the largest, overlooked humanitarian crises in the world. Sudanese locally led approaches, mutual aid, and emergency response rooms represent the most effective method to reach those in need. The existing humanitarian sector is slow to adapt to innovative funding models in access-constrained environments, yet locally led approaches and mutual aid groups demonstrate an effective way to distribute resources and transfer decision-making power to local groups. This coalition will advocate for localized approaches and mutual aid groups as critical scaling pathways for donors across the aid ecosystem in Sudan and beyond.
Approach
Participating members of the Strengthening Local Humanitarian Leadership (LHL) Philanthropic Collaborative and partners in the coalition will make an initial collective contribution of $6.5 million to an eligible intermediary and commit to channel funding and decision-making power to Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) and mutual aid groups in Sudan.
Humanity United will contribute $25,000 of funding in 2024. Contributions are intended to be unrestricted community grants, with funders transferring agency to ERRs/Localization Coordination Councils (LCC) and other local groups to decide priorities and how funds are allocated and spent.
LCC/ERRs will provide documentation of the process, flow of resources, and risk management controls governing the fund allocation, management and oversight, and an appropriate account of fund distribution and outcomes.
This action fits into Global Fund for Women’s feminist crisis response initiative that seeks to reach the most marginalized and vulnerable groups in a crisis setting, which often requires non-traditional funding modalities and light-touch fiscal reporting so that those groups can focus on what matters most. These modalities require deep trust, and strong relationships with communities at a local level. Adding our contribution to collective efforts will ensure a stronger impact.
Case studies, impact stories and/or education and advocacy materials will be produced to demonstrate feasibility and impact. These will be used to educate philanthropy and mobilize further funding throughout the life of the CTA.
Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) launched the “Call to Action for Sudan” fund and will mobilize its fundraising capacity to contribute to this commitment. CDP will accept, pool and manage the transfer of funding tranches (along with its own contributions) for a subsidized fee of 5% for LHL and other funders who wish to contribute to Sudan’s locally-led response efforts through CDP’s fund management expertise, streamlined due diligence and flexible reporting requirements
Action Plan
Background
Sudan is the largest, least funded humanitarian crisis in the world, with over 25 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, almost 10 million of them displaced. The international humanitarian aid architecture and systems are not meeting the needs of the people of Sudan due to barriers to access.
In its place, informal networks of decentralized, hyper-local mutual-aid groups, many called Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) represented at national level by the Localization Coordination Council (LCC) provide support to their communities. Mutual aid groups are primarily geography, issue or population based.
ERRs and mutual aid groups are the main mechanisms for providing lifesaving support to millions of people and families in need in Sudan. They are the most effective vehicles to scale up response as the humanitarian situation deteriorates beyond catastrophe.
To date they have been primarily self-funded, with some external resources from the Sudanese diaspora. A relatively small amount of funding from traditional international donors has reached these ERRs and mutual aid groups. Philanthropy has a crucial role to play in piloting, testing, proofing and documenting the viability and efficacy of the funding and scaling pathways for donors to reach local mutual aid groups while obtaining adequate assurances that risks are being managed.
Humanity United is committed to engaging in trust-based philanthropy which centers the expertise and lived experience of proximate actors such as ERRs. Sudanese mutual aid efforts are building trust, legitimacy and seeking to prevent further damage to the torn social fabric in Sudan and ensuring a chance of a better future for children and youth. They are empowering communities, not creating the dependence that traditional aid often generates.