While international attention is focused heavily on the conflict and famine in the Gaza Strip, the famine in Sudan remains just as dire. Since the outbreak of civil war in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudan has descended into one of the most dire humanitarian disasters of the 21st century. By mid‑2025, approximately 25 million people—nearly half the national population—face acute food insecurity. Conflict, siege tactics, and infrastructure collapse have cut off vital food, water, and medical access. Civilians are reported to be eating animal feed, hay, or wild plants just to survive. Aid convoys are frequently attacked or blocked, and famine conditions are worsening.
A number of U.S.-based nonprofits are actively responding to the crisis through food relief, nutrition support, cash assistance, and emergency healthcare, often collaborating with trusted local partners amid mounting challenges.
Charities on the below list are Top-Rated by CharityWatch for meeting our financial efficiency, governance, and transparency benchmarks.
| Charity | Types of Aid Provided |
|---|---|
| CARE USA | Food security programs, agricultural support, water access in displacement zones |
| Catholic Relief Services (CRS) | Emergency food distribution and long‑term community rehabilitation |
| Doctors Without Borders (MSF) | Nutrition treatment, mobile clinics, medical aid, and vaccinations |
| International Rescue Committee (IRC) | Integrated health/nutrition/WASH programs, child protection, GBV services |
| Medical Teams International | Camp-based medical care, health services via partner ZOA |
| Project HOPE | WHO emergency kits, hospital resupply coordination |
| Save the Children | Child protection, family tracing, psychosocial support, nutritional health programs |
| UNICEF USA | Therapeutic feeding, child health, water & sanitation, emergency education |
| World Vision | Food, health services, child and family protection |
| Zakat Foundation of America | Emergency medical, nutrition support, physician training, and health infrastructure aid |
CARE is deeply engaged across South Darfur, South Kordofan, Kassala, and Khartoum, supporting over 30 million people in need. They focus on food assistance, agricultural rehabilitation, water access, sanitation infrastructure, and livelihoods for internally displaced populations—all while sounding alarms over sharp funding shortfalls that threaten program continuity.
In a January 2025 emergency update, CRS confirmed ongoing operations across 32 areas of Sudan and refugee response zones in neighboring countries. They have supported nearly 2 million people since late 2023 with food, healthcare, child protection, water and sanitation, shelter, livelihoods support, and education.
Médecins Sans Frontières continues to operate in 10+ of 18 Sudanese states, including Darfur, Khartoum, Gedaref, Kordofan, and Blue Nile. As of July 2025, MSF maintains nutritional screening and treatment, mobile clinics, trauma care, vaccination campaigns, and water/sanitation services. They have treated hundreds of thousands and conducted thousands of surgeries and deliveries, despite suspending operations at Bashair Teaching Hospital in Khartoum due to violent attacks on staff and patients—operations that resumed later with a focus on cholera response and expanded care in underserved areas like Jebel Marra.
MSF had to suspend services at Bashair Hospital after repeated violent attacks on staff and patients in January 2025. Limited resumption began mid‑2025 with scaled-up cholera response and outreach programs.
The IRC continues to be a key humanitarian actor in Sudan, placing the country at the top of its 2025 Emergency Watchlist. They are delivering multi-sector assistance—including health, nutrition, WASH, cash aid, protection, and gender-based violence services—despite access barriers and funding delays. IRC’s public reports emphasize their ongoing presence in conflict-affected states and urgent calls for donor engagement
As of mid-2025, Medical Teams International has significantly expanded its presence in Sudan’s conflict zones. A partnership launched in April 2025 with IOM and Al Jazirah State Ministry of Health is delivering health and nutrition services to nearly 32,750 individuals, including mobile health teams, maternal care, immunizations, mental health support, and nutrition screenings. Earlier reporting from December 2024 documented coverage of 169,000 individuals monthly across 75 health facilities in Khartoum, Gedaref, and White Nile—serving over 860,000 people total since the conflict began.
Project HOPE continues to support Sudan’s strained health system through critical medical supply and logistics delivery. In October 2023, working with partners like Airlink and MAP International, they coordinated a $13 million shipment of medical supplies, hygiene kits, and therapeutic food—designed to reach over 100,000 people across Sudan, particularly in response to cholera, dengue, malnutrition, and hospital shortages in Khartoum and Omdurman. Their collaboration with the Sudanese American Physicians Association includes delivering WHO Interagency Emergency Health Kits to Al‑Nau Hospital to support up to 20,000 patients over three months. Project HOPE continues to track and expand these operations in 2025.
Save the Children continues to operate extensively in Sudan. In 2023, it supported over 2.4 million people, including nearly 1 million children, through mobile health clinics, nutrition supplements, child protection programs, psychosocial support, education, and food security initiatives—especially in conflict-affected regions like Khartoum and Darfur. Their work has been repeatedly highlighted as critical in areas where famine and malnutrition are escalating.
UNICEF remains deeply engaged in Sudan, with its mid-2025 Situation Report noting that over 24 million Sudanese face acute food insecurity, and more than 15.6 million children require urgent humanitarian aid. In January 2025 alone, UNICEF delivered 2.6 million vaccine doses reaching over 147,000 children, screened nearly 6.7 million children for malnutrition (treating over 422,000), and provided clean water to nearly 10 million people. UNICEF USA has also launched a $1 billion appeal for its Sudan program, with only $12 million raised in 2025 thus far—highlighting a critical funding shortfall amid escalating need.
World Vision Sudan remains active under its 2021–2025 strategic plan, operating across Blue Nile, South Kordofan, South and East Darfur. Between October 2022 and September 2023, the organization reached over 1.2 million people, delivering food and cash assistance, health and nutrition services, clean water, protection services, and school meals—despite ongoing security threats and service disruptions
Zakat Foundation remains actively engaged in Sudan’s humanitarian response. As of April 2025, the organization continues to distribute seasonal food packages, meat distributions via its Udhiya/Qurbani program, hygiene kits, clean water, and cataract surgeries, supporting displacement-affected families—particularly in Darfur and Nile-adjacent areas
With millions on the brink of starvation, Sudan’s crisis demands urgent global attention. Despite access challenges and shrinking international funding, U.S.-based charities remain actively engaged on the ground delivering food, health services, cash aid, and child protection whenever and wherever it’s possible. Supporting these organizations provides critical lifelines during one of the most underreported humanitarian catastrophes of our time.
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