When building trust translates into humanitarian access and life-saving assistance in Sudan
As a result of Geneva Call’s proactive facilitation and engagement to obtain security guarantees, a United Nations Aid convey was able to reach and deliver critical life-saving assistance to 130,000 highly at-risk people in Dilling and Kadugli in South Kordofan at the beginning of February.
Driving along routes previously considered too dangerous because of ongoing conflict and drone attacks, the convoy delivered essential aid, including food commodities, medical and nutrition supplies, as well as health, WASH, and education materials, to assist over 130,000 people. Critical nutrition support reached approximately 21,000 mothers and children, helping prevent and treat malnutrition, while life-saving supplies were estimated to benefit around 40,000 children and their families.*
Geneva Call played a pivotal role in lobbying for and facilitating humanitarian access for this convey. Through timely information sharing and sustained engagement with relevant armed actors, Geneva Call secured assurances regarding the convoy’s safety and passage along the Al-Obeid–Rihad–Kartala–Habila–Dilling corridor.
In accordance with humanitarian notification procedures, the organisations involved in the convoy provided detailed information, including on the trucks and drivers participating, with relevant stakeholders. Geneva Call’s longstanding and sustained engagement with relevant armed groups played a critical role in facilitating robust communication channels and ensuring security assurances were clearly conveyed to the appropriate field-level actors. This coordination was a decisive factor in reducing risks and enabling the convoy to pass safely.
“This convoy shows that even in highly volatile contexts, sustained dialogue with armed actors can translate into concrete humanitarian outcomes. By securing safety assurances and strengthening communication along this sensitive route, we helped enable life-saving assistance to reach communities that had been cut off for far too long. This is a clear example of how principled engagement can make humanitarian access possible where it is needed most,” said Arz Alam, Geneva Call’s Country Director in Sudan.
Geneva Call in Sudan
Geneva Call has maintained a long-standing engagement in Sudan and, since the outbreak of the civil war in April 2023, has continued its work to protect civilians through dialogue with armed groups and de facto authorities (AGDAs), and by strengthening communities’ capacities to protect themselves.
Geneva Call works directly with armed groups to increase their compliance with international humanitarian norms, advocating for both behavior change and concrete measures that improve the protection of civilians. By building trust on the ground, Geneva Call also helps secure humanitarian access for humanitarian aid organisations, ensuring that people in need continue to receive life-saving assistance.
*Joint UN convoy brings vital aid to cut-off communities in Sudan’s South Kordofan State.
**Illustration adapted from a Geneva Call training booklet on Humanitarian Access.