The Victims, The Perpetrators & The Lifelines
June 2026 | International Peace Bureau
This situational brief examines the ongoing civil war in Sudan, tracing the origins of the conflict, the regional and international actors sustaining it, and its devastating impact on civilians. It highlights the widespread atrocities committed during the war, the catastrophic humanitarian crisis facing the Sudanese population, and the vital role played by Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) in sustaining communities amid state collapse. The brief also outlines the failures of the international response and presents the International Peace Bureau’s position and calls to action for governments, institutions, and civil society.
IPB POSITION & CALL TO ACTION
The International Peace Bureau (IPB) recognizes the Sudan Emergency Response Rooms as among the most extraordinary examples of civilian-led humanitarian action in recent history. In a context of state collapse, genocidal violence, and international neglect, ERR volunteers have sustained millions of lives at extraordinary personal risk.
The IPB calls on the international community to:
- Formally recognize and protect ERR volunteers as humanitarian actors under international humanitarian law, ensuring that protection is enforced and that both warring parties are held accountable for attacks on civilian aid workers
- Immediate scale-up, direct, and flexible funding to the Emergency Response Rooms and local Sudanese humanitarian organizations, allocating a minimum of 10% of all Sudan-directed humanitarian aid directly to community-led mutual aid networks, with fast-tracked disbursement mechanisms that meet the pace of an active famine crisis
- Pressure all foreign states – in particular the UAE – to cease arms transfers to parties engaged in documented genocide and war crimes
- Support the expansion of ICC jurisdiction and the existing Darfur arms embargo to cover all of Sudan
- Urgently restore and increase humanitarian aid funding for Sudan, reversing the devastating cuts of 2025
- Call for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire and the protection of humanitarian corridors
Moreover, IPB calls on civil society organizations to:
- Devote time, strategic capacities, and resources to spreading awareness and advocating for Sudan, including through public actions, media coverage, and centering Sudan in all discussions around genocide and international humanitarian failure
- Build sustained solidarity with the ERRs and Sudanese civil society movements, creating platforms for exchange, mutual support, and long-term partnership beyond the immediate crisis
- Pressure institutional donors – foundations, universities, pension funds, and faith-based organizations- to redirect funding toward direct support for local Sudanese humanitarian networks.
- Document and publicize violations against humanitarian workers and civilians, so that accountability mechanisms and international bodies have the evidence needed to pursue justice and protection
- Organize sustained resource mobilization campaigns for the ERRs and other Sudanese grassroots humanitarian organizations, with particular attention to the Women’s Emergency Response Rooms
Support grassroots Sudanese activists by raising their advocacy in discussions, ensuring that Sudanese leadership – particularly women and youth – shapes the narrative around Sudan’s future.
Special appreciation to the principal authors of this publication: Fatima Medani (Sudan’s Advocacy and Policy Consultant and IPB Council Member) and Sean Conner (IPB Executive Director).