Sudan

Despite the conflict that began in April 2023, AFD continues to support the Sudanese population and maintains an active project portfolio of around €60 million.

• The project “Resilience and sustainability for food security in four states of Sudan,” implemented by Action Against Hunger, aims to address food insecurity through a multisectoral approach. It helps sustainably improve livelihoods, strengthen household resilience to climate change, and combat malnutrition,
• A project led by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture also aims to improve food security and the incomes of producers of peanuts, sorghum, cotton, sesame, and maize. It develops biological solutions to combat aflatoxin, a carcinogenic mycotoxin that contaminates seeds and crops,
• The project implemented by the Danish Refugee Council in Gedaref State in Sudan and in the Benishangul-Gumuz region in Ethiopia contributes to developing sustainable solutions to forced displacement. It supports displaced and returning populations, as well as host communities, particularly women and girls, through an approach that links humanitarian action and development.

AFD contributes to the STARS fund administered by the World Bank in Sudan. The fund aims to support the resilience of the Sudanese population while helping stabilize the country.

Funded activities focus in particular on strengthening institutions and governance, supporting economic recovery through job-creating agricultural and irrigation projects, building local capacity for sustainable resource management, and improving decision-making through reliable data.

Since 2020, the fund has supported projects in modern irrigation and the development of agricultural value chains, helping improve productivity and incomes for nearly 150,000 smallholder farmers while strengthening their resilience to droughts and floods.

Within AFD Group, Expertise France also supports access to education in Sudan. Between 2018 and 2025, the EQUIP program, funded by the European Union and implemented by Expertise France, helped improve the training of more than 10,000 teachers and expand access to quality education, particularly for girls.

In Sudan, the effects of climate change are exacerbating existing humanitarian crises. Recurrent droughts, floods, and the degradation of natural resources are increasing food insecurity and weakening livelihoods.

In this context, the NGOs Action Against Hunger and the Danish Refugee Council, supported by AFD, play a central role in strengthening the resilience of vulnerable populations.

Their interventions focus in particular on improving access to water, modernizing agricultural systems, and promoting climate-adapted agricultural practices. They also support the sustainable management of natural resources in the most exposed regions, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan.

These initiatives aim to help communities anticipate and adapt to climate-related crises while contributing to reducing tensions over access to resources, which are often exacerbated by environmental shocks.

In Sudan, projects supported by AFD also contribute to strengthening social cohesion and reducing economic and social inequalities. They promote cooperation between communities through inclusive economic and agricultural initiatives.

Support for local cooperatives and water management committees helps involve farmers and herders in collective decision-making and reduce tensions related to access to natural resources.

Community dialogue and mediation mechanisms are also put in place to promote integration between displaced populations, host communities, and refugees.

Projects give particular attention to the most vulnerable groups, especially women, young people, and displaced populations, in order to improve their access to economic resources and employment opportunities.

Since 2023, AFD has committed €105.5 million to support populations affected by the crisis in Sudan, including €55.5 million committed before 2023 and reallocated to address conflict-related needs.