These Are the Unsung Heroes Healing Sudan’s Wounds

Agencies – Independent Arabia
A network of Sudanese volunteers, nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, is working tirelessly to help the hungry and displaced by distributing food aid, building shelters, and organizing evacuations in a country torn apart by two years of brutal war.

According to AFP correspondent Diaa al-Malik, the “Emergency Room” he works with is made up of “doctors, engineers, students, accountants, and unemployed people” — all contributing to helping their devastated communities.

Emergency Rooms are spread across Sudan, with thousands of volunteers — mostly young people — taking part.

These groups operate outside official frameworks, often supported by international organizations unable to deploy their own teams due to the harsh conditions of war. Instead, they rely on these local initiatives.

UN humanitarian coordinator for Sudan, Denise Brown, said: “They are individuals and organizations with determination, courage, and a deep understanding of the realities on the ground — they know the language and the needs.”

The “Beating Heart”
Shashwat Saraf, director of the Norwegian Refugee Council, which supports the network, said: “From the first day of the war, the Emergency Rooms and their volunteers have been the beating heart of humanitarian work in Sudan.”

Their efforts include handling emergencies, managing hospitals, repairing water and electricity networks, treating the wounded, building schools, and providing food and psychological support to survivors of sexual violence.

Diaa recalls, “At the start of the war, the situation was dire — bodies lay in the streets.” He adds, “With no other actors present, citizens had to take responsibility themselves.”

In April 2023, fighting erupted between the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by his former ally Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The country quickly plunged into a devastating war, pushing volunteers to the frontlines of humanitarian work amid the collapse of official institutions.

Thus, the Emergency Rooms continued the legacy of the Resistance Committees formed in 2013 during protests against former President Omar al-Bashir — movements that played a major role in his downfall.

In 2020, the Resistance Committees solidified their presence during the COVID-19 pandemic through awareness campaigns and vaccination drives.

Thousands of Beneficiaries
Sadiq Issa, an activist in the besieged city of Dilling in South Kordofan, said, “Before joining the Emergency Room in May 2024, most members were already active in humanitarian and community work.”

Issa focuses on documentation and monitoring activities, working among 36 volunteers divided into teams handling logistics, external relations, training, women’s protection, and security.

Amjihad Musa, a 22-year-old resident of Dilling, said the Emergency Room volunteers “are the only ones who can help us.” She added, “We don’t know what we would have done without them — we eat because of them. Sometimes they bring us flour and medicine, and sometimes just a kind word.”

The United Nations reports that over four million people benefited from the Emergency Rooms’ efforts during the first months of the war.

In Al-Jazira State, southeast of Khartoum, more than one million displaced people have returned home after the army regained control of the area.

There, the Emergency Rooms established safe spaces for women and children, centers for distributing essential medicines and providing first aid, as well as psychosocial support for victims of violence, according to Wafaa Hassan, spokesperson for the local Emergency Room.

Perils on the Frontline
Emergency Rooms operate in some of the most isolated regions, where volunteers document violations committed by both the army and the RSF against civilians. Their reports have become invaluable in a country awash with misinformation, rumors, and propaganda.

Both warring sides view the volunteers with suspicion. They live under constant threat amid an atmosphere of fear and violence.

Diaa explains, “The hardest part of our work right now is the risk of being arrested by security forces, who believe the Rooms are an extension of the revolution and the Resistance Committees.” Several of their colleagues have already been detained.

Last September, the Emergency Rooms received the Rafto Prize for Human Rights in recognition of their “creative initiatives in solidarity and social cooperation.” They were also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, which was ultimately awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.