Sudan Humanitarian Fund Annual Report 2024

LETTER FROM THE HC

In 2024, Sudan faced a crisis of unprecedented scale and complexity. More than 8.5 million people were displaced inside the country, conflict expanded into previously stable regions, and multiple areas tipped into famine or were on its brink. In this context of escalating needs, restricted access, and deepening vulnerability, the Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF) stood as a vital engine of response — adapting to each wave of the crisis with speed, scale, and strategic intent.

The SHF’s response was not only rapid — it was smart. Grounded in evidence, driven by coordination, and designed to strengthen the entire humanitarian architecture, SHF’s funding reached where others could not. From grassroots-led responses in conflict zones to rapid interventions in newly accessible areas, and from anticipatory action in famine hotspots to full-scale, multi-sector programming across the country, SHF’s four distinct allocation modalities enabled targeted response across the entire emergency continuum.

Perhaps most importantly, SHF delivered this response in a way that redefined what localization can look like — not as a rhetorical commitment, but as a practical and measurable reality. In 2024, the Fund quadrupled its financial support to national NGOs, embedded national actors at every stage of project design and implementation, and dramatically expanded support to grassroots responders. Mutual Aid Groups and Women-Led Organizations were not just recipients of aid — they were at the center of its delivery.

This model of partnership was not only principled, but effective. Over $208 million in grants were signed in 2024, and two-thirds of that funding was directed to the areas with the highest needs, based on IPC, displacement, and protection data. The Fund’s innovative programming — from its area-based allocations to its direct multi-cluster responses — enabled humanitarian actors to stay ahead of deteriorating conditions, rather than simply react.

I am deeply proud of what the SHF has achieved. But even more than its numbers, what stands out is how this Fund has strengthened the system as a whole. It has brought coherence to fragmented efforts. It has extended access to underserved areas. And it has empowered the partners best positioned to respond — not just to deliver aid, but to lead it.

To the donors who made this possible, I offer my sincere thanks. Your flexible and timely contributions allowed SHF to match ambition with action. And to every organization that implemented under SHF funding — often at great personal risk and under the most difficult of conditions — I express my deepest appreciation.

As we look to 2025, the challenges remain immense. But with the continued support of our donors, and the tireless commitment of our partners, the Sudan Humanitarian Fund will remain As we look to 2025, the challenges remain immense. But with the continued support of our donors, and the tireless commitment of our partners, the Sudan Humanitarian Fund will remain a platform not only for emergency response — but for equitable, effective, and transformative humanitarian action.