Sudan Crisis Response Plan 2024-2025

CRP last updated: December 17 2024
$250,500,000
Funding required
30,400,000
People in need
1,735,000
People Targeted
40
Entities targeted

IOM will adopt an integrated approach in Sudan by supporting the people and Government of Sudan in managing the mobility dimensions of crises, including finding sustainable solutions to displacement. IOM will involve communities and promote localization during project design and implementation. IOM works across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus applying a conflict sensitivity lens to provide multisectoral humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable while simultaneously promoting disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness. IOM seeks to enhance the provision of basic services in underserved communities and address other drivers of displacement and fragility to contribute towards peaceful, inclusive and resilient communities. 

INFORM Risk 

7.4, Very high 

INFORM Severity 

5, Very high 

Human Development Index  

170 out of 193 

The ongoing armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that began on April 15, 2023, has triggered a massive displacement crisis. As of September 2024, the conflict has internally displaced 10.8 million people, with an additional 2.3 million fleeing to neighboring countries like Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan. Many have faced multiple displacements, and many struggle to access basic services and protection. As such, IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix reports that in August 2024, in states including the Darfurs and Kordofans, over 90 per cent of respondent IDPs reported a need for support including WASH, health, food, non-food items, protection, shelter, and livelihoods. Displacement is concentrated in regions like West Darfur, White Nile, and areas near borders, where displaced populations face harsh conditions and strain already limited resources. 

The humanitarian situation is dire, with 30.4 million people now needing assistance—half of Sudan's population—up from 15.8 million in 2022. Of these, 18.1 million require urgent life-saving aid, such as food, water, healthcare, and shelter. The crisis is further complicated by extreme weather events, including heavy rains and flooding in 2024, which displaced around 180,835 people across 15 states. Flooding has damaged critical infrastructure, such as the Arba’at dam in Red Sea State, which continues to affect access to clean water for over 500,000 people. This has heightened the risk of waterborne diseases like cholera, which has led to over 21,000 cases and 640 deaths.

IOM Sudan engages widely with partners on a governmental, interagency, and bilateral level. At present, IOM regularly contributes to interagency structures, including co-leading 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, as well as co-chairing the mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) technical working group in Kassala state.  

IOM regularly engages with other humanitarian actors including UN agencies (such as UNHCR, WHO, UNFPA, UNDP, etc.), international and national NGOs, and cluster leadership to harmonize programming, avoid duplication of efforts, and to capitalize on synergies for more effective programming. IOM is a member of the UN Country Team (UNCT) and participates in the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), Programme Management Team (PMT), Operations Management Team (OMT), and Crisis Management Team (CMT). IOM is also a member of the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG) and participates in sector and cluster meetings across the response. IOM works closely with local and national governmental actors 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, and where relevant offer capacity building and technical support.

IOM has been operational in Sudan 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. IOM also runs a Migration Health Assessment Centre in Kassala and deploys four mobile clinics in key states to enhance health access.  

As one of only a handful of UN agencies with a presence in Abyei PCA North, IOM leads humanitarian efforts in some of the most underserved regions. Its common humanitarian pipeline, established in 2021, supports emergency relief distribution to partners, with a network of six warehouses totaling 5,406 m². IOM is actively expanding warehouse capacity and scaling cross-border operations to meet rising humanitarian demands. 

The Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) provides critical real-time data on displacement, supported by a network of 500 enumerators and over 7,000 informants. IOM’s diverse programs address the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, including emergency response, transition, recovery, and peacebuilding efforts. Its operational strategies leverage deep contextual understanding and established partnerships with local organizations, government stakeholders, and community groups.  

IOM continues to co-lead the Mixed Migration Working Group with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Despite challenges in the current context, IOM strives to work closely with local and national governmental actors in 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, and where relevant offer capacity building and technical support. IOM also works with government counterparts to facilitate their participation in relevant international mechanisms and in events that aim to build government capacities, such as supporting the  Higher Council for Environment and Natural Resources (HCENR) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to participate in Experts Working Group (EWG) meetings for the Kampala Ministerial Declaration on Migration, Environment, and Climate Change (KDMECC).

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

Localization emphasizes the vital role of communities and their local knowledge and expertise in designing and implementing effective programs. IOM remains committed to reinforcing local actors’ capacities, ensuring their active participation, and resourcing, in line with Commitment two of the Grand Bargain, emphasizing the empowerment of local partners. 

A community and area-based approach allows responses to be designed, implemented, and monitored around the local context, enabling greater agency among local communities, vulnerable and marginalized populations, local authorities, and members of civil society. This approach also empowers communities, strengthens support networks, and fosters better recovery outcomes. IOM is committed to streamlining this approach across its multi-sectoral responses to maximize impact, address vulnerabilities and build resilience among crisis-affected communities. 

IOM works with local communities as well as local and national NGOs and CBOs across the humanitarian response in Sudan, through the Rapid Response Fund and Common Pipeline, in activities as varied as hygiene promotion, health services provision, relief item distribution, counter-trafficking, peacebuilding and economic recovery activities.

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

$200,404,400
Funding required
1,441,123
People Targeted
35
Entities Targeted
Primary target groups
Internally displaced person
Local population / community
International migrant
Internal migrant
Refugee

Through comprehensive multisectoral interventions, IOM aims to save lives, alleviate human suffering, and uphold the dignity of IDPs, migrants, refugees, and host communities by promoting their access to humanitarian aid, to meet their basic needs and promote minimum living conditions. This includes short-term emergency interventions including shelter, non-food item, health, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and protection to meet conflict-affected population’s urgent humanitarian needs, in addition to working with local actors to expand reach enable localized responses, while enhancing coordination efforts and producing data to drive an evidence-based response. 

Objective 2 - Driving solutions to displacement
Driving solutions to displacement

$41,323,500
Funding required
206,913
People Targeted
35
Entities Targeted
Primary target groups
Internally displaced person
Local population / community
Refugee

IOM Sudan aims to deliver interventions that can foster the resilience of crisis-affect populations. This includes access to community stabilization and peacebuilding programming when and where it is appropriate in the fragile context of Sudan. In addition, IOM works with partners to restore access to key services, promote mitigation measures under disaster risk reduction (DRR) programming, undertake protection activities, seeking to foster resilience  and strengthen local capacities in support for sustainable solutions to displacement. These interventions will promote the self-reliance of affected populations, while addressing the factors which limit access to services and livelihoods opportunities and could be drivers of future displacement. Livelihoods programming under this objective also aims to strengthen the ability of IDPs and host communities to access the labour market and income-generating opportunities.  

Facilitating pathways for regular migration
Facilitating pathways for regular migration

$8,772,100
Funding required
86,964
People Targeted
7
Entities Targeted
Primary target groups
International migrant
Refugee
Internal migrant
Local population / community

Through protection and MHPSS interventions, IOM aims to contribute to the long-term goal that migrants become accepted into society, both as individuals and as group, and are protected from violence, exploitation, and abuse. This includes working with migrants and refugees who may find themselves excluded by host communities due to perceived political allegiances or based on tensions due to resource sharing. IOM will deliver protection, MHPSS, and community engagement activities through Migrants Response and Resource Centres (MRRCs) to promote the safety and wellbeing of migrants, and to challenge stigma against internal and international migrants in local communities. In addition, IOM will continue to work with embassies and governments to promote pathways to regular migration, improving access to safe and dignified movement assistance, while health interventions at borders will facilitate safe movements, through health screening, disease surveillance, and emergency preparedness and response measures.  

Objective 1
Saving lives and protecting people on the move
$200,404,400
Funding required
[{"name":"Human suffering is alleviated","y":62},{"name":"Threats and vulnerabilities are reduced","y":4},{"name":"The quality of humanitarian assistance is enhanced","y":34}]
Objective 2
Driving solutions to displacement
$41,323,500
Funding required
[{"name":"Adverse drivers of displacement are minimized","y":61},{"name":"Displaced people are resilient and self-reliant","y":18},{"name":"Displaced people benefit from solutions","y":21}]
Objective 3
Facilitating pathways for regular migration
$8,772,100
Funding required
[{"name":"Channels for regular migration are sustainable and responsive","y":18},{"name":"Migration flows and cross-border mobility are well managed","y":63},{"name":"Migrants are protected from violence, exploitation and abuse","y":19}]

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

$7,515,000
Funding required
Related inter agency plans
H(N)RP

Considering the ‘unprecedented protection crisis’ that has escalated as a result of the ongoing conflict in Sudan and reflecting IOM’s commitment to do no harm in its operations, IOM will mainstream protection throughout the CRP response. At the heart of humanitarian operations, IOM mainstreams gender, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), gender-based violence (GBV) and child protection considerations and risk mitigation. Notably, IOM will ensure that the safety, dignity, well-being, and equitable access to services and assistance across all sectors for all crisis-affected persons, especially women and girls, is prioritized, integrated, and coordinated. To ensure safe programing, protection, GBV and PSEA experts and service providers will be consulted as needed when planning and delivering humanitarian interventions. 

$7,515,000
Funding required
[["Saving lives",80],["Solutions to displacement",16],["Pathways for regular migration",4]]
Distribution of NFI kits to displaced families in Port Sudan. © IOM Sudan 2023
Distribution of NFI kits to displaced families in Port Sudan. © IOM Sudan 2023
Data for action, insight and foresight
$6,790,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans FA
Basic needs, including food and multi-purpose cash assistance
$6,790,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Camp coordination and camp management
$485,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Shelter and settlements
$82,897,073 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Water, sanitation and hygiene
$29,095,635 Funding required
Related inter agency plans H(N)RP
Health
$33,964,162 Funding required
Related inter agency plans (R)RRP H(N)RP
Mental health and psychosocial support
$1,891,500 Funding required
Protection
$10,251,930 Funding required
Related inter agency plans (R)RRP H(N)RP
Movement assistance
$3,395,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans (R)RRP
Humanitarian border management and search and rescue
$1,746,000 Funding required
Livelihoods and economic recovery
$8,933,700 Funding required
Related inter agency plans (R)RRP H(N)RP
Land and property
$3,395,000 Funding required
Community stabilization and community-driven development
$10,670,000 Funding required
Peacebuilding, violence and conflict reduction
$4,850,000 Funding required
Disaster risk management
$4,850,000 Funding required
Support services for response actors
$32,980,000 Funding required
Related inter agency plans (R)RRP H(N)RP
Operational presence in

Sudan

39
International staff and affiliated work force
707
National staff and affiliated work force
4
IOM field office

 

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.

With thanks to our current donors