Humanitarian Hustle: Unpacking Protection in Sudan

Humanitarian Hustle: Unpacking Protection in Sudan

By Tahir Ali Shah

Everyone has been hearing about Sudan lately. It's on the news, and the headlines make it sound like a major geopolitical disaster. However, if we look beyond the headlines to understand what life is truly like for ordinary people on the ground, the reality is raw, heartbreaking, and urgent. Amid all the discussions about ceasefires and diplomacy, one thing stands out as even more important: keeping people safe. That’s what protection is all about.

With years of experience in humanitarian work, I can tell you that protection isn't just a nice-sounding term thrown into reports. It's the difference between life and death, between dignity and despair. In places like Sudan, where entire communities are being devastated by violence and instability, protection is everything. It serves as the foundation for all humanitarian efforts.

Ground Zero: Life in Sudan Right Now:

Imagine this; millions of people being forced to leave their homes, not by choice, but out of necessity. They are fleeing bullets, airstrikes, ethnic violence, and lawlessness. Some seek refuge in overcrowded camps, while others move in with relatives or strangers. Yet, far too often, they arrive with absolutely nothing. Consider the struggle to survive without food, clean water, a toilet, or a safe place to sleep. Now add in trauma, fear, and the constant risk of additional violence. That is the daily reality for millions in Sudan today.

To better understand what people are facing, here is a snapshot of the key protection threats they encounter every single day:

The Real Dangers: Your Protection Checklist (Sudan, as of May 2025)

No.	Protection Challenge	What It Is & Why It's Huge
1	Forced Displacement Risks	Over 8.7 million people are forcibly displaced (internally or as refugees). Losing homes means losing safety, income, education, and healthcare, exposing them to violence and exploitation.
2	Gender-Based Violence (GBV)	Widespread GBV, including rape, sexual slavery, and early marriage, particularly in Darfur, Kordofan, and conflict zones. GBV response services are underfunded or inaccessible.
3	Child Protection Nightmares	Over 3 million children are displaced or out of school. Children are at risk of recruitment, trafficking, forced labor, and separation from families. This robs them of safety and a future.
4	Human Rights Abuses	Documented abuses include arbitrary detention, torture, looting, ethnic targeting, and movement restrictions by armed actors. It devastates trust and safety in daily life.
5	No Access to Services	80% of hospitals are non-functional in conflict areas. Millions can’t reach basic services like healthcare, education, and mental health support due to insecurity or destruction.
6	Economic Traps	Over 25 million people need aid; food inflation has reached over 500%. Economic collapse pushes families to take desperate, unsafe decisions, increasing child labor and migration.

These aren’t abstract issues, they are affecting real people right now. And each one of these challenges feeds into the others, creating a cycle of harm that’s almost impossible to break without serious, sustained help.

GBV: The Silent Crisis That Isn’t Silent Enough:

One of the harshest consequences of the war in Sudan is the surge of gender-based violence. Women and girls are being attacked during displacement, inside camps, and even while collecting firewood. Forced marriage and sexual violence have become weapons of war. Unfortunately, survivors often have nowhere to turn for help. Humanitarian groups are making efforts to assist by setting up safe spaces, offering confidential reporting, and providing medical and psychological support. However, the needs far exceed the available resources.

Kids Caught in the Crossfire:

Few images break the heart more quickly than that of children caught in war. In Sudan, many children have lost their families, schools, and sense of safety. Some are recruited by armed groups, while others are forced into labor just to survive. The mental health toll is immense. This is why psychosocial support for children, commonly referred to as PSS, is essential—not optional. It helps them cope, heal, and perhaps even dare to dream again.

Justice Denied:

For most people in Sudan, the concept of justice feels distant. Many have lost their homes, land, and loved ones, yet they lack a system to rely on for redress. There have been documented cases of arbitrary detentions and torture, alongside properties being looted or destroyed. Without legal support, most individuals are unaware of their rights, let alone how to claim them. Legal aid and rights awareness are critical components of any genuine protection effort in a war zone.

Connecting the Dots: Services and Safety:

Even when services are available, reaching them is another challenge entirely. Roads may be blocked, security can be unstable, and some areas are completely cut off. This is where safe referral pathways come into play—systems that guide vulnerable individuals from where they are to where they can find help. It may sound simple, but it is life-changing. It assists survivors of violence, displaced families, and at-risk children in finding medical care, shelter, legal help, and counseling. Service mapping—essentially knowing what services exist—can be the first real step toward safety.

Money for Dignity: Cash for Protection:

One often overlooked aspect of protection is cash assistance. When families receive a small amount of money, they can make informed choices. They may choose to rent safer housing, buy food, or pay for transport to a clinic. This flexibility restores some control over their lives. Cash-based protection programs also reduce risky behaviors such as begging, child labor, or early marriage. It provides protection with dignity.

The Hustle: How Aid Teams Step Up:

So, what do humanitarian protection teams do daily? A lot, and often under incredibly difficult conditions. They conduct protection monitoring, tracking violations and trends to identify where help is most needed. They provide Individual Protection Assistance (IPA), offering direct support to those at the highest risk. They operate in shifting conflict zones, facing security threats all around, often with insufficient funding or supplies. Yet, they persist because the mission is too important to fail.

What’s Next: Keeping Hope Alive in Sudan:

The protection crisis in Sudan will not be resolved quickly, but the resilience of its people will not fade either. Over 25 million people, more than half of the country's population, now rely on humanitarian assistance to survive. Among them, over 14 million are children, and nearly 4.2 million women and girls are at heightened risk of gender-based violence. These are not just numbers; they represent individuals enduring unimaginable hardships.

Despite the immense needs, the 2024 Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan, which requested $2.7 billion, remains less than 20% funded as of May 2025. This funding gap results in real-world consequences: protection services are unable to reach survivors, legal aid does not arrive, and children remain vulnerable to recruitment or trafficking.

Nevertheless, aid workers, community leaders, and everyday citizens continue to show up. They monitor rights violations in real-time, provide case management for survivors of gender-based violence, support separated children, and help communities identify which services still exist. These efforts are crucial, not only do they provide immediate relief, but they also safeguard the threads of hope and dignity that conflict seeks to destroy.

If we genuinely care about Sudan, we must do more than merely observe from the sidelines. We need to advocate for political solutions that prioritize human rights, demand unimpeded humanitarian access, and fund protection services as if lives depend on it, because they do. Most importantly, we must amplify the voices of Sudanese communities. They understand their needs best; our job is to listen and act.

Protection is not a mere buzzword; it is the backbone of humanitarian work. It helps families hold on a little longer and keeps hope alive when everything else feels bleak. Ultimately, this is not just about headlines; it is about human dignity. That is the real bottom line.

Citations:

1.     United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Sudan: Humanitarian Needs Overview 2025. New York: United Nations, 2025. Link.

2.     United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Sudan Annual Report, 2024. Link

3.      OCHA Financial Tracking Service. Sudan 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan. Accessed May 30, 2025. Link

About the Author: Tahir Ali Shah is a humanitarian professional with over 20 years of experience managing protection and development programs across South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. He has worked extensively in refugee response, child protection, and humanitarian advocacy. He can be reached at tshaha@gmail.com