Sudan urges international donors to shift focus to development and early recovery

October 13, 2026 (GENEVA) – Sudan on Tuesday called on the international community to shift its priorities toward development assistance for productive sectors and basic services, supporting government-led early recovery efforts.

Sudan’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Hassan Hamid Hassan, made the remarks during a high-level event on refugee response and voluntary return, held on the sidelines of the 77th session of the UNHCR Executive Committee.

Hassan said international donors must shift from emergency humanitarian assistance to direct development support for production and vital public services to strengthen stability for returning populations.

He said returning more than 5 million Sudanese to their homes requires a strategic shift from emergency relief alone to rebuilding damaged infrastructure and restoring basic utilities.

About 5.1 million displaced Sudanese have returned to their areas of origin, though many face the risk of secondary displacement due to severe shortages of basic services, according to an International Organization for Migration report published on September 21.

While returns followed improved security after the army regained control of Khartoum, Al Jazirah, Sennar, and parts of North Kordofan states, scarce job opportunities, destroyed facilities, and a sharply devalued local currency have hampered recovery.

Hassan said creating suitable conditions for voluntary return remains a top priority for the government, pointing to extensive, systematic destruction inflicted on basic infrastructure and service facilities by the Rapid Support Forces.

He added that humanitarian aid alone cannot repair water and power networks, hospitals, schools, and productive sectors damaged during the conflict.

An estimated 33.7 million Sudanese require assistance this year, including 19.5 million facing acute hunger, with humanitarian agencies warning that 825,000 children suffer from severe acute malnutrition and 3.4 million remain at risk of fatal diseases.