Sudan and Neighbouring Countries Crisis Response Plan 2025

Regional Plan
CRP last updated: December 18 2024
$428,000,000
Funding required
2,646,000
People Targeted
55
Entities targeted

IOM’s 2025 Crisis Response Plan for Sudan and Neighbouring Countries will save and protect the lives of people affected by the brutal war in Sudan, and will build resilience in the region for those in continued displacement, with an evidence-based approach to address the myriad and severe humanitarian and protection concerns. To amplify these efforts, IOM will provide technical and logistical support to other response actors, focusing on local actors, with the intention of enhancing the quality of assistance and capacity to assist hard-to-reach areas where needs severity is most acute.  

In South Sudan, IOM provides onward transportation assistance to support returnees to reach their homes. ©IOM South Sudan 2024

The ongoing conflict that began on 15 April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to have devastating consequences for millions of civilians in Sudan, with 30.4 million people estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2025, an increase of 6.6 million from 2024 projections (24.8 million) (Sudan HRP  2025). 

Moving into 2025, Sudan is the largest displacement crisis in the world. As of 15 October 2024, IOM estimates that Sudan hosts an approximate 10.9 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), with 8.2 million having been displaced since the outbreak of conflict (IOM Sudan, October 2024). This is in addition to an estimated 830,000 refugees who had been displaced within Sudan prior to April 2023 and continue to reside in Sudan.  

Access to essential services is becoming particularly acute due to the destruction of critical infrastructure and a complex range of access constraints. In this context, as the result of the continual deterioration of food security, on 1 August 2024 the conflict reached a disparaging milestone with the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee confirming the presence of famine conditions in Zamzam camp, North Darfur, with other IDP camps in the state identified as likely also experiencing famine conditions (FEWSNET, August 2024).  

In addition, a severe humanitarian crisis continues to unfold in areas of displacement in neighbouring countries, which as of October 2024 are hosting over 3.

The interventions outlined in this CRP are in line with and complementary to the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plans (HRPs), as well as the 2025 Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRRP) coordinated by UNHCR.  

At the country level, IOM engages and coordinates closely with national and local Governments, Resident / Humanitarian Coordinators and Humanitarian Country Teams, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UNHCR and key partners to ensure the effective delivery of assistance to all people in need affected by the conflict: internally displaced, refugees, returnees to the neighbouring countries and other non-Sudanese fleeing the war, and host communities across the region.  

In Sudan, IOM will continue to build on a robust network of implementing partners (IPs) and local partners, in support of key cluster operations. This includes management of the common Non-Food Items pipeline which serves over 80 organizations in hard-to-reach areas, and also management of the Rapid Response Fund (RRF) which provides small grants to local partners to facilitate rapid implementation of lifesaving and multi-sectoral projects.  

In all countries, IOM participates in the key coordination forums that are in place: Humanitarian Country Teams (HCT), Inter-Cluster Coordination Groups (ICCG), and the relevant clusters and/or sectors and working groups (Shelter and Non-Food Items, Protection, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), Logistics, Health, WASH, Access, Cash, Site Management). 

Responses in all neighbouring countries will support each Government’s response to the crisis, where IOM will continue to work closely with partners, including UN agencies, international and local organizations, civil society, and government counterparts. IOM holds key coordination positions including: 

 

  • IOM Sudan co-leads with UNHCR the Counter Trafficking and Mixed Migration Working Group; and co-leads with UNDP the Peacebuilding Pillar of the UN Common Approach. IOM is a key contributor to the Access and Cash Working Groups, and manages the common Non-Food Items pipeline in service of the Shelter and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Clusters.

Since the outbreak in conflict in April 2023 IOM has successfully adapted and expanded already existing operations and programmes throughout Sudan and neighbouring countries in order to provide integrated and life-saving humanitarian assistance for those on the move. With a total of 3,944 staff and 43 sub and field offices across Sudan and her neighbouring countries, as well as non-static presence in other areas of implementation, IOM is well positioned to further build on this broad geographic footprint moving into 2025.    

In Sudan, IOM has been operational since 2000 and continues to play a pivotal role in the humanitarian landscape with six operational offices (in Red Sea, Kassala, Gedaref, Atbara, Wadi Halfa and Kadugli) and a significant presence across all states. The organization operates three Migrant Resource and Response Centres (MRRC) in Gedaref, Kassala, and the Red Sea, with plans to establish an additional MRRC in Dongola, Northern state, and also is the lead agency of the UN hub in Atbara. IOM also runs a Migration Health Assessment Centre (MHAC) in Kassala and deploys four mobile clinics in key states to enhance health access. As of October 2024, IOM Sudan has 262 staff members and 500 hourly/affiliated staff. 

Further, in Sudan, IOM leads humanitarian efforts in some of the most underserved regions, with IOM one of few UN agencies with a presence in Abyei PCA North and it’s common humanitarian pipeline supporting emergency relief distribution to partners, with a network of six warehouses totaling 5,406 m². IOM is now actively expanding it’s warehouse capacity and scaling cross-border operations to meet rising humanitarian needs.  

Across Sudan’s neighouring countries, building on IOM’s already existing expertise in humanitarian, migration, peacebuilding and development implementation, since April 2023 IOM has successfully adapted and expanded their footprint in areas of cross-border displacement in order to address both immediate and longer-term needs for new arrivals and for those now facing continued displacement. In neighbouring countries IOM has a total of 2,946 staff, 12 field or sub-offices in areas of cross-border displacement which provides broad operational coverage in areas of displacement, and with specific reference to the Sudanese caseload has; four (MHACs), three transit centres, three MRRC’s, two displacement sites, and one humanitarian hub.  

IOM works closely with local and national authorities across the response to ensure the implementation of assistance is well targeted and reaching people in need; the development of policy and mechanisms that can protect the rights of crisis-affected persons; and the technical and operational capacity is built in order to ensure continued humane, dignified and quality support to affected persons.

In Sudan, IOM will continue to work with the authorities in Port Sudan including the Sudanese Border Guards headquarters, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, the State Water Corporations, and the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) to coordinate interventions. IOM will strive to deliver life-saving assistance to people in need wherever they are across Sudan. In neighbouring countries IOM will coordinate with the relevant authorities on  assistance to and resilience for those fleeing the conflict in Sudan, and their host communities.  

To support the facilitation of safe channels for regular migration, IOM will provide technical and operational support to officials at land and air borders in order to strengthen emergency preparedness and outbreak control; prevent counter trafficking and enhance screening and service provision to Victims of Trafficking; and support the safe, dignified and humane movement through for those on the move through humanitarian border management support.

IOM will continue to engage closely with authorities in Sudan and neighbouring countries in the provision of movement assistance to internal and international migrants, including third-country nationals, who have been left stranded by the conflict. Movement assistance includes evacuations; voluntary relocation, return and repatriation; and family reunification. Assistance will be coordinated through consular engagement, liaison, and direct support between both the host country and country of origin. 

Key Operating Modalities
Participation and empowerment Conflict sensitivity Integrated Programming Collaboration and partnership Localization Cash-based interventions
Cross-cutting priorities
Data and evidence Protection Mainstreaming Gender Equality Prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse Disaster Risk Climate Change Law and policy

IOM will prioritise the expansion and capacity of an already comprehensive network of local and national actors across Sudan and its neighbouring countries. Of particular relevance to this context, IOM recognizes local actors as providing critical local expertise and knowledge in informing and delivering quality programming; as essential actors for ensuring meaningful and impactful participation in communities; and important first line responders in enabling access to remote and hard-to-reach areas. As such, and as a signatory to the Grand Bargain, IOM is committed to streamlining localization through its humanitarian, early recovery and migration programming.  

In Sudan, amidst ongoing conflict and access constraints, IOM will continue to engage with National Non-Governmental Organizations (N-NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to deliver humanitarian assistance through the Rapid Response Fund (RRF) that facilitates  small grants to local partners in order to facilitate the rapid implementation of lifesaving and multi-sectoral projects.

Objective 1 - Saving lives and protecting people on the move
Saving lives and protecting people on the move

$312,400,000
Funding required
2,090,000
People Targeted
48
Entities Targeted
Primary target groups
Internally displaced person
Internal migrant
Refugee
International migrant

Within a context of dire humanitarian conditions, severe protection concerns and complex cross-border mobility, IOM intends to continue providing targeted assistance that aims to alleviate human suffering and reduce threats and vulnerabilities. Through both direct implementation and a strong network of partner organizations, IOM intends to provide multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance for those in need through Health; Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); Sites and Settlements; Multi-purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA); Protection; MHPSS; Non-food Items (NFI); and Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM). IOM will make particular efforts to deliver targeted assistance in hard-to-reach areas where needs are typically most acute, with all activities informed through a conflict sensitivity and protection-based approach. To support the broader humanitarian response in the delivery of critical assistance, IOM will provide technical and coordination assistance to government, international and local actors, and provide logistical and operational assistance through the common pipeline and rapid response fund (RRF).  IOM will also support evidence-based decision making throughout the response through the data generating and analytical capacity of the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM). Finally, in a complex mixed migration environment, IOM will intend to support the onward movement, return, and reintegration of those who are on the move as a result of this ongoing crisis. 

Objective 2 - Driving solutions to displacement
Driving solutions to displacement

$106,600,000
Funding required
684,000
People Targeted
49
Entities Targeted
Primary target groups
Internally displaced person
Local population / community
Internal migrant
Refugee
International migrant

As of 15 October 2024, IOM estimates that Sudan hosts an approximate 10.9 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), with 2.7 million having been displaced prior to April 2023, and that 3.2 million persons have left Sudan since the onset of conflict in search for safety and access to essential basic services. In this context many people have been in displacement for more than a year. Accordingly, IOM will deliver assistance that will ensure that displaced persons are resilient and self-reliant, and that the adverse drivers and structural factors that can cause secondary displacement are minimized. To support early recovery initiatives that will foster improved community resilience, IOM will look to deliver economic recovery interventions that enhance access to sustainable livelihoods; provide legal and housing, land and property (HLP) assistance to enhance tenure security and access to documentation; deliver community stabilization programming to ensure the sustainable integration of displaced persons; and engage with government, local authorities and local organizations to strengthen essential WASH, Shelter, Protection, and Health service provision. IOM will apply a participatory community-based approach, looking at settlements holistically and creating settlements profiles to guide decision-making on investments that will benefit communities as a whole, and enhance access to services for all.  Further, IOM will also deliver programming that enhances resilience to compounding drivers of displacement through disaster risk reduction (DRR) and peacebuilding activities that can sustainably address drivers of violence and conflict. 

Facilitating pathways for regular migration
Facilitating pathways for regular migration

$9,000,000
Funding required
87,000
People Targeted
10
Entities Targeted
Primary target groups
International migrant
Refugee

In response to severe protection concerns and complex migration flows and cross-border mobility patterns across borders, IOM will support Sudan and neighbouring countries through facilitating safe channels for regular migration and through ensuring that cross-border mobility prioritizes the health, safety and security throughout the mobility continuum. To support humane channels for regular migration IOM will provide technical and operational support at Sudanese land and air borders to facilitate humane conditions for those on the move, and will also support the safe, dignified and voluntary movement of third-country nationals through the provision of consular, legal, and movement assistance. To support the safety for those on the move and the broader mobility continuum, IOM will enhance the capacity of Governments to prevent and counter trafficking of persons through the development of case management, screening protocols, and referral mechanisms; integrate protection and MHPSS through capacity building and direct assistance into border management processes; and support the provision of healthcare for those on migration routes. Further, amidst regional concerns of the spread of the infectious Mpox disease, IOM will look to strengthen emergency preparedness and outbreak control at points of entry to Sudan through the provision of legal frameworks, direct health assistance, and building the capacity of border personnel to conduct screenings and promote effective health and hygiene activities.  

Objective 1
Saving lives and protecting people on the move
$312,400,000
Funding required
[{"name":"Human suffering is alleviated","y":60},{"name":"Threats and vulnerabilities are reduced","y":20},{"name":"The quality of humanitarian assistance is enhanced","y":20}]
Objective 2
Driving solutions to displacement
$106,600,000
Funding required
[{"name":"Adverse drivers of displacement are minimized","y":14},{"name":"Displaced people are resilient and self-reliant","y":41},{"name":"Displaced people benefit from solutions","y":45}]
Objective 3
Facilitating pathways for regular migration
$9,000,000
Funding required
[{"name":"Channels for regular migration are sustainable and responsive","y":24},{"name":"Migration flows and cross-border mobility are well managed","y":52},{"name":"Migrants are protected from violence, exploitation and abuse","y":24}]

Percentage of funding required contributing to the long term outcomes expressed on IOM's Strategic Results Framework.

$12,800,000
Funding required
Related inter agency plans
(R)RRP H(N)RP

IOM places the protection, well-being, and rights of migrants at the core of its actions and decision-making within the Sudan response and mainstreams protection principles across all sectors of engagement. In so doing, IOM seeks to achieve key protection outcomes, including 1) Diminishing risks faced by affected populations, 2) Addressing the needs of the most vulnerable, and 3) Enhancing the resilience of individuals and communities. 

Specifically, IOM will conduct regular situational monitoring and assessments to identify protection risks and inform the humanitarian response, highlighting the specific vulnerabilities experienced by displaced populations and those who remain trapped in conflict hotspots, and are unable to move. The analyses will guide specialized protection programming and the provision of tailored assistance through mobile and static teams, particularly the most vulnerable, including unaccompanied and separated minors, victims of trafficking, persons with disabilities, and survivors of gender-based and conflict-related sexual violence.

$12,800,000
Funding required
[["Saving lives",73],["Solutions to displacement",25],["Pathways for regular migration",2]]
Civilians face the worst effects of a deepening humanitarian emergency, including famine, collapse of basic services, and loss of livelihoods. © IOM Sudan 2024 / Satti Mohammed
Civilians face the worst effects of a deepening humanitarian emergency, including famine, collapse of basic services, and loss of livelihoods. © IOM Sudan 2024 / Satti Mohammed
Basic needs, including food and multi-purpose cash assistance
$43,310,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans (R)RRP H(N)RP
Camp coordination and camp management
$4,074,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans (R)RRP H(N)RP
Community stabilization and community-driven development
$24,200,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans (R)RRP H(N)RP
Data for action, insight and foresight
$20,888,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans (R)RRP H(N)RP
Disaster risk management
$5,626,000 Funding required
Health
$50,201,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans (R)RRP H(N)RP MRP
Humanitarian border management and search and rescue
$5,340,000 Funding required
Land and property
$5,375,000 Funding required
Legal identity and consular services
$118,000 Funding required
Livelihoods and economic recovery
$18,495,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans (R)RRP H(N)RP
Mental health and psychosocial support
$6,115,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans (R)RRP H(N)RP
Movement assistance
$32,725,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans (R)RRP H(N)RP
Peacebuilding, violence and conflict reduction
$4,850,000 Funding required
Protection
$18,720,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans (R)RRP H(N)RP
Shelter and settlements
$101,643,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans (R)RRP H(N)RP
Support services for response actors
$32,980,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Water, sanitation and hygiene
$40,540,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans (R)RRP H(N)RP
Operational presence in

Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan, Uganda, Sudan

 

The map used here is for illustration purposes only. Names and boundaries do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by IOM.

Figures are as of 31 December 2023. For more details of IOM's operational capacity in country, please see the IOM Capacity section.