Networks of local volunteers, community groups, and individuals – known as local responders – play a critical role in the crisis response in Darfur (as in other regions of Sudan), providing essential services such as food, healthcare, and community support to those affected by the conflict. These include local mutual aid groups and Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) established at the onset of the conflict, among other structured efforts. This insight report describes the role played by local mutual aid groups in responding to the crisis in Darfur since the outbreak of the conflict in Sudan in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
This report explores their organisational forms and key activities. It also describes the obstacles they face in delivering a sustained humanitarian response in the region, including the risk of abuse, detention, or attacks from the conflict parties on their volunteers and staff; lack of official recognition by the authorities and some international organisations; a lack of sustainable financial resources; and the scale of humanitarian needs among affected communities in the region.
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