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The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a UN agency mandated to provide emergency assistance and protection to people forced to flee their homes, is calling on the private sector to take action in response to the year-long crisis in Sudan.
Away from the eyes of the world and the news headlines, 15 April 2024 marked one year since fighting across Sudan, forced millions of people to leave their homes in search of safety both within the country and across its borders.
The conflict has created one of the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises. The humanitarian situation in the country is dire due to shortages of food, water, and medicine, limited access to communications and electricity, and skyrocketing prices of essential items. The most urgent needs include water, food, shelter, health.
While the conflict increases the complexity of operating in Sudan, UNHCR teams are on the ground in line with the security situation, accessibility and availability of fuel among other considerations, providing protection, shelter and sustaining emergency supplies to the fleeing people.
How can the private sector help Sudan?
- Provide financial support: Funding that enables UNHCR to allocate resources without restrictions is the most effective way to ensure aid is delivered when and where it is needed most. A financial donation helps us procure and deliver the items and services that refugees and displaced people need, replenish our stockpiles and support local markets.
- Offer a platform for customer giving: Individuals look for ways to support those affected by the conflict and a company can make that connection. Offer a way for your customers to support, such as an option to donate at check-out in stores and online.
- Engage your staff: A company can help employees make donations or find creative ways to gather support, like competitions between departments, races for a cause or bake sales. And you can match their gifts.
- Offer in-kind assistance: Meeting some specific and urgent needs such as airlifts or land transportation can be done effectively via in kind donations or services - particularly when humanitarian access to the affected areas is challenging or when supply through other means or local procurement is not available.
- Support staff and suppliers: Take action to support your employees that might be directly and indirectly affected by the conflict, from helping them get to safety, to providing support through information and access to mental health services or maintaining salaries despite business disruption.
- Raise awareness: Businesses can play a key role in raising awareness of the need to protect and support refugees and advocate for an end to the conflict. Your influence, reach and network can make a difference. For example, you can advocate with your network to show that the business community stands with people forced to flee. Or you can support UNHCR on your social media platforms.
Why partner with UNHCR?
In the face of the Sudan emergency, UNHCR and partners are on the ground in the region, leading the humanitarian response. But they cannot do it alone. Private sector support enables them to stay prepared for emergencies, respond to emergencies as they break and support the acute needs of those recovering in underreported crises out of the media spotlight.
For more information on partnering with UNHCR, please contact Vittoria Volgare (Private Partnerships and Philanthropy Associate in Belgium and Luxembourg) at volgare@unhcr.org