Overview
Sudan is the third largest country in Africa, strategically located between the Horn of Africa and the Sahel. The country plays a pivotal role in regional stability and lies on one of the main migration routes to North Africa and Europe.
Following a political transition that began in 2019 after decades of authoritarian rule, Sudan has faced continued instability with a climax in October 2021 when a military take-over derailed dramatically the transition process. In 2023, tensions escalated into a widespread armed conflict, resulting in one of the world’s most severe humanitarian and development crises in the world (famine, massive displacement of people).
Our partnership
The EU works with local and the international partners to support the Sudanese population amidst the prolonged crisis The EU focuses on sustaining essential services and resilience of populations, providing support to health, education, livelihoods and protection, working towards peacebuilding and development in Sudan.
Team Europe in Sudan brings together the EU and several EU Member States (The Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, France, Italy). Together, we implement initiatives aimed at both meeting immediate needs and laying the groundwork for future recovery and inclusive development.
Common efforts include addressing urgent needs, maintaining access to basic services, supporting civil society and independent media, and reinforcing the resilience of local communities. The EU also contributes to protecting civic space, advancing gender equality and human rights, and supporting regional stability.
Sudan continues to benefit from regional and thematic programmes in areas such as education, migration, health, human rights, and food security.
The EU has allocated €304 million in grant funding for Sudan for the period 2021-2024. In addition, EU has allocated €55 million for the response to displacement from Sudan in neighbouring countries (Chad, South Sudan, Ethiopia and CAR).
EU-Sudan partnership programming documents can be found in the 'Related documents' section below.
Our key initiatives
- Resilience
The EU partners with Sudan to build resilient communities and support recovery in areas affected by conflict and displacement. Key initiatives include:
- Creating employment opportunities for women and youth, particularly in the agriculture and livestock sectors.
- Supporting the productivity of local nutritious food value chains and livestock.
- Enhancing access to markets, promoting agroecology, and supporting sustainable rural employment.
- Supporting transition and recovery through livelihoods, food security interventions as well as cash transfers in conflict-affected states.
- Improving nutrition and reducing stunting among children.
- Basic services
The EU continues to strengthen access to essential health services for vulnerable and displaced populations. Key initiatives include:
- Education
- Expanding inclusive and quality education, especially for displaced and refugee children.
- Supporting the qualification of basic school teachers, with a focus on gender equity and deployment in hard-to-reach areas.
- Supporting the training of Sudanese refugee teachers in Egypt, Chad and Ethiopia with a focus on psycho-social assistance (trauma healing) for the Sudanese refugee children in those countries.
- Retaining education staff (incentives to volunteers and training).
- Health care
- Improving access to primary health care, including maternal, child and reproductive health services.
- Expanding mental health and psychosocial support in conflict-affected and underserved areas.
- Strengthening public health systems through better planning, data systems and local health governance.
- Retaining medical staff (incentives, training).
- Education
- Upholding human rights
The EU supports Sudanese civil society in advancing justice, accountability and inclusive governance. Actions include:
- Monitoring and reporting on Human rights violations in this time of war.
- Promoting human rights, including support to women’s and children access to justice through legal aid.
- Strengthening independent media, civic engagement and democratic dialogue.
- Migration and displacement
The EU collaborates with local actors in Sudan to support displaced populations and communities affected by migration. Our common efforts focus on:
- Supporting local integration of internally displaced persons and improving access to basic services.
- Strengthening social cohesion and cohabitation in migration-affected areas, including in the Eastern states.
- Enhancing protection of migrants and displaced populations.
- Supporting fight against human trafficking and smuggling along migration corridors.