The Sudanese Red Crescent and the revitalization of regional and international partnerships are a strategic necessity. The statements of the Secretary-General, Dr. Aida Al-Sayed Abdullah, regarding the loss of lives and assets—particularly the impact of the war on the supply department—reveal the depth of the damage caused by the conflict and the urgent need to rehabilitate supply systems to prevent the collapse of the national humanitarian response in the country.
This reality becomes more practical when linked to the efforts made in training at the General Secretariat headquarters and the branches in Port Sudan, which represent an attempt to repair logistical chains and strengthen technical capacities amid limited resources.
Thousands of displaced people who travel hundreds of kilometers fleeing conflict zones arrive in camps such as Addabba and Al-Afad in the Northern State—“safe areas”—carrying physical and psychological wounds caused by the violations of the Rapid Support Forces militia. In many cases, they also face a vacuum in international coordination or a notable absence of specialized agencies that were expected to provide humanitarian assistance to civilians.
Politically, it is clear that there is a significant gap between national roles and levels of external intervention. The condemnation by some local actors of the absence of UN agencies from displacement camps, along with accusations of delay or bias at times, reveals a crisis of trust between national relief initiatives and the international community.
Therefore, the need for regional and international partnerships appears crucial. Partnerships with friendly national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies (European and Arab) and the International Federation, along with effective coordination with multiple UN agencies, are required to provide emergency resources, operational expertise, and to connect supply and procurement chains.
These partnerships must be built on the basis of respecting national sovereignty to ensure the sustainability of humanitarian work without compromising the independence of the national actor. Likewise, the safety of workers is a non-negotiable pillar: killings and assaults on volunteers and staff lead to a breakdown in access capacity, increase the cost of response, and reinforce a climate of fear that obstructs humanitarian planning.
International organizations have documented rising risks to relief teams, making the protection of personnel and compliance with international humanitarian law a prerequisite for operations. In this regard, the Sudanese government is fulfilling its duties in providing the necessary protection for workers, which should ensure faster humanitarian response.
Politically as well, public discourse and discussions surrounding external agendas play a role in shaping the atmosphere of support or opposition to international organizations. Hence, the Red Crescent must craft balanced messages: clarifying its need for international partners while affirming the importance of its neutrality, building a diplomatic balance between service, its significance, and the required effectiveness so that aid remains accepted.
In this context, the statements of Dr. Al-Tijani Al-Sissi, head of the diplomatic track of the National Support Initiative, revealed the extent of the gap between national initiatives and the absence of UN agencies from camps such as Al-Afad and Addabba. He stressed that this absence is unjustified and that UN agencies could have provided rapid assistance to those fleeing from El-Fasher.
This gap between national initiatives and UN absence shows that voluntary work has become an indicator of the location of power in the war. Success in building sustainable local and international partnerships restores part of the country’s self-confidence, while failure leaves the scene open to regional interventions and political pressures.
Amid Al-Sissi’s statements highlighting violations and suffering, it becomes clear that humanitarian work is a test of the Sudanese society’s ability to protect itself and rebuild state institutions that are unable to do so alone. Voluntary work in Sudan today is a political and humanitarian examination. Its success means the nation can reorganize itself despite the war, while its failure reflects the failure of these national institutions.
Thus, the Sudanese Red Crescent and national initiatives in this field become bridges of trust between the citizen and the state, and between the inside and the international community, where every step in relief carries a meaning related to national capacity in managing the crisis.
The scene shows that voluntary work and deferred partnerships represent a socio-political project testing the society’s ability to confront challenges, assist civilians, and regain control over the consequences of war.
Therefore, the Sudanese Red Crescent must adopt a dual-track vision: an internal track to strengthen institutional resilience, develop supply systems, training, storage facilities, repair the vehicle fleet, and establish clear accountability mechanisms; and an external track for smart humanitarian diplomacy, regional partnerships, understandings with UN agencies, and agreements with friendly societies to facilitate aid entry and exchange expertise.
Accordingly, and in line with #Truth_Lens, it becomes clear that the overlap between politics and humanitarian action has become essential for understanding the nature of relief and how to operate it efficiently and responsibly. Relief is not isolated from politics, yet it can turn into a disciplined act that is neither exploited nor diverted from its purposes. In this context, the Sudanese Red Crescent—through its current leadership, field presence, and partnership networks—possesses a solid base to drive this transformation, provided it invests it wisely in capacity-building. Revitalizing regional and international partnerships remains indispensable to ensure continuity of service.
Wishing you well and in good health.
Sunday, 23 November 2025
Shglawi55@gmail.com
