Coalition for Mutual Aid in Sudan Expands its Commitment to Distribute at Least $16 Million in Direct and Flexible Emergency Grants

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Center for Disaster Philanthropy

Sep 26, 2025, 08:00 ET


The pledge announced at the Clinton Global Initiative 2025 Annual Meeting will support essential services and humanitarian aid provided by local response groups

NEW YORK, Sept. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Efforts in Sudan to provide food, education and other essential services to more than 20 million people amid a humanitarian crisis in the country are getting a boost from a group of philanthropies and other organizations from around the world. The Coalition for Mutual Aid in Sudan yesterday announced at least $16 million in direct and flexible emergency grants to vetted mutual aid groups in Sudan by the end of 2026 as a Commitment to Action at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2025 Annual Meeting in New York.

"In every crisis, there lies a choice: To stand by or to step up. I'm so grateful to this Coalition and our shared ongoing commitment to Sudan, and I know we will continue to listen and work with those closest to the crisis, not only because they are the closest to the need, but also because they know how best to help," said Patricia McIlreavy, president of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, on behalf of the Coalition. "As international attention wanes and foreign aid budgets are slashed, funding for crises, including Sudan, falls even further behind what's needed. Philanthropy can lean in, not to replace governments, but to reinforce communities and support civil society. We can fund what is locally led and community-rooted, and in doing so, sustain hope."

Exceeding last year's commitments to strengthen local humanitarian response

The Coalition surpassed its original Commitment to Action announced at the 2024 Annual Meeting to channel at least $2 million in emergency grants by the end of 2024 and generate a minimum of $4.5 million more from peer philanthropies by the end of 2026.

To date, the Coalition has disbursed over $7 million, supporting efforts such as establishing community kitchens and food distribution, rehabilitating schools, setting up solar energy systems, operating water wells to ensure sustainable water access and more.

"The resourcefulness and resilience of Sudan's mutual aid groups have been vital in meeting the urgent needs of local communities. These groups have not only delivered life-saving assistance, but have also built the tools and systems that make it possible for international funding to reach communities quickly and responsibly," said Federico Motka, head of emergencies and humanitarian portfolio at the Vitol Foundation. "We're proud to stand with these local leaders and our Coalition partners, but we know our efforts alone are not enough. Now more than ever, the international community must step up with renewed commitment to ensure the resources reach those who need them most."

Stemming the spread of famine

April 2025 marked the start of the third year since the civil war began between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan. Since civil war erupted, Sudan has evolved into the world's largest displacement and hunger crisis. More than 15 million people have been forced from their homes, and approximately half of those people are under the age of 18. More than 25 million people now face acute hunger, with more than half a million experiencing catastrophic hunger. At least 10 areas in Sudan have declared famine.

Mutual aid groups in Sudan, sometimes called emergency response rooms (ERRs), represent the most immediate and effective way to deliver life-saving assistance to communities in crisis.

"The experience of the emergency response rooms has proven that mutual aid is not a secondary option, but a necessity imposed by tragedy. It has also shown its ability to save millions of lives by providing food, shelter, evacuation and health care in a country facing unprecedented mass displacement, where more than half of the population is in urgent need of assistance," said a spokesperson of the Localization Coordination Council, which coordinates state-level ERR networks, Sudanese NGOs and international observers. "None of this would have been possible without the tremendous efforts and sacrifices made by the dedicated volunteers of Sudan's emergency response rooms, who continue to stand by their people in the total absence of state institutions."

For donors who wish to help but face institutional reporting requirements, compliance frameworks, or fiduciary responsibilities that necessitate different funding mechanisms, the Coalition accommodates those needs. The Coalition raises awareness about the critical importance of supporting mutual aid groups and connects donors with verified funding mechanisms that strike a balance between maximum impact and appropriate oversight. Depending on an organization's specific requirements, the Coalition consists of key funding channels that can help donors support Sudan's mutual aid networks effectively.

In Sudan's current crisis, supporting mutual aid isn't just effective philanthropy; it's essential humanity.

About the Coalition for Mutual Aid in Sudan

Initiated by the Strengthening Local Humanitarian Leadership Collaborative, which the Center for Disaster Philanthropy coordinates, the partners in the Coalition for Mutual Aid in Sudan share a common commitment to supporting and strengthening local humanitarian responders who are best placed to provide immediate relief, build resilience and pave the way for recovery in their communities.

The Commitment to Action on Funding Mutual Aid in Sudan has received financial contributions from:

These organizations are providing in-kind technical, research and advocacy support:

About the Center for Disaster Philanthropy

CDP mobilizes philanthropy to strengthen communities' ability to withstand disasters and recover equitably when they occur. It provides expert advice and educational resources, supports diverse coalitions and manages domestic and international disaster funds on behalf of corporations, foundations and individuals through targeted, holistic and localized grantmaking. Donors may support mutual aid and other recovery efforts in Sudan through the CDP Sudan Humanitarian Crisis Fund. Find out more at disasterphilanthropy.org and on X and LinkedIn.

About the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)

Founded by President Bill Clinton in 2005, the Clinton Global Initiative is a community of doers representing a broad cross section of society and dedicated to the idea that we can accomplish more together than we can apart. Through CGI's unique model, more than 10,000 organizations have launched more than 4,000 Commitments to Action — new, specific and measurable projects and programs – that are making a difference in the lives of more than 500 million people in 180 countries.

Media Contact
Kristina Moore, Center for Disaster Philanthropy, 1 720.583.5325, [email protected], https://disasterphilanthropy.org/ 

SOURCE Center for Disaster Philanthropy