Sudanese activists report arrest of aid volunteer in Port Sudan

August 25, 2025 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudanese security forces have arrested a humanitarian volunteer in the eastern city of Port Sudan, activists said on Monday, marking the latest detention targeting civilian aid workers.

Berir al-Tom, a volunteer with the Red Sea State Emergency Room, was taken to an unknown location by security forces who did not provide a reason for his arrest, a member of the Port Sudan Resistance Committee told Sudan Tribune.

The committee member described al-Tom as a non-political figure known for his work providing services to those in need and assisting people displaced by the war.

In a statement, the Port Sudan Resistance Committees held the security authorities responsible for al-Tom’s safety and demanded his immediate release.

Emergency Rooms are volunteer-led initiatives that emerged across Sudan after the conflict began in April 2023. They have provided essential food and medical services to millions affected by the fighting and have also worked to document human rights violations.

Dozens of their volunteers, particularly in Khartoum and eastern Sudan, have faced a wide-ranging campaign of arrests, torture, and assassinations, according to civil society groups.

The incident follows a call earlier this month by Resistance Committees in Omdurman for an independent investigation into the death of volunteer Khalid al-Zubair. Al-Zubair died inside a military intelligence detention centre in Khartoum on August 8 after being held for nearly two years.