Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ

Sudan lies at the crossroads of Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, facing the Red Sea. It shares its border with seven countries: the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya, and South Sudan. The White and Blue Niles meet in Khartoum, its capital, merging to become the Nile River, which flows all the way to the Mediterranean via Egypt. Sudan has a Sahelian belt with desert in the far north, fertile land in the Nile valleys and the Gezira region, with land used for farming and livestock across the rest of the country, from Darfur to Kassala, via the states of Blue Nile and Kordofan.

For most of its independent history, the country has faced substantial internal conflict that has weakened its ability to play a leadership role in the region. This includes two of the longest-lasting civil wars on the African continent, and conflicts in Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile. Under the terms of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011 and became the 54^th independent state of Africa. The secession of South Sudan led to multiple economic shocks, including the loss of oil revenues that had accounted for more than half of the Sudan government¡¯s revenue and 95% of its exports. This has resulted in reduction of economic growth and double-digit consumer price inflation, which, together with increased fuel prices, triggered violent protests in September 2013.

Continuous food price hikes and longstanding grievances for over thirty years of rule led to mass demonstrations in December 2018. The demonstrations culminated in the removal of the then-President, Omar Hassan El-Bashir in April 2019. This led to the formation of a Transitional Government in September 2019 that carried out ambitious economic and social reforms and engaged in peace negotiations with armed groups to address conflicts and grievances across the country. This led to the signing of the Juba Peace Agreement with nearly all armed opposition groups in October 2020.

A year later, in October 2021, a military takeover took place. Key government structures were dissolved and terms of the 2019 constitutional charter suspended. In early January 2022, the Prime Minister stepped down after his efforts to reach a political settlement between domestic stakeholders failed. In December 2022, a Political Framework Agreement (PFA) was signed, between the military and a number of political parties, in an attempt to relaunch the country¡¯s transition to civilian government and hold elections in two years. A second phase of the political process was launched in January 2023, aimed at reaching consensus on key issues and inviting non-signatories to join the process, by the end of which a final agreement would be signed marking the beginning of a new transitional period. However, a political deadlock prevailed between domestic stakeholders in the military and broader security apparatus, armed groups, political parties, and civil society until April 2023, when a failed political process saw an eruption of conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The situation in Sudan has been characterized by escalating conflict since April 2023 with devastating consequences for the population. Escalating conflict has disrupted lives, damaged infrastructure, and strained the economy and transformed Sudan into the largest displacement crisis in the world. Reports from the United Nations indicate that, nearly 11 million individuals had been displaced within Sudan or to neighboring countries as of October 2024. The effects on food security are alarming, with nearly 26 million people facing acute hunger ¨C over 50% of Sudan's population. The United Nations warns that without immediate action, nine million people could face catastrophic hunger. Additionally, many who had previously sought refuge in Sudan have been forced to return to their countries and endure unlivable conditions. Sudan's healthcare system is severely impacted, with most hospitals out of service. The economic toll has been devastating, with decades of development progress lost. The once-promising economy now faces significant challenges in recovery. The UN has launched a $2.7 billion humanitarian response plan to address this crisis. Urgent support is needed to provide aid, stabilize the situation, and help the people of Sudan recover from this devastating conflict.

Last Updated: Oct 01, 2024

Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ Group¡¯s (WBG) Board of Executive Directors endorsed the Country Engagement Note (CEN) for FY21-22 on October 8, 2020. The CEN aims to support the Government of Sudan¡¯s efforts to reform the economy, build a more equitable social contract, and provide a better future for the Sudanese people. The CEN has two focus areas, (i) re-engagement, and (ii) contributing to a renewed social contract, with a cross-cutting theme of promoting inclusion and citizen engagement.

On March 26, 2021, Sudan cleared its arrears with the International Development Association (Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ), signaling its re-engagement with the WBG and opening the door to nearly $2 billion in new development financing. Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ financing is complemented by contributions from several bilateral and multilateral development partners to the World Bank-managed  Multi-Donor Trust Fund. Initial financing focused on support for the Sudan Family Support Program of cash transfers as well as macroeconomic stabilization efforts.

On June 29, 2021, Sudan reached the Heavily-Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) Initiative Decision point, thus becoming the 38th country eligible to receive debt relief under the initiative, jointly launched by the World Bank and the International Monitory Fund (IMF) in 1996 to ensure no poor country faces a debt burden it cannot manage. Debt relief will support Sudan to implement essential reforms to improve the lives of its people by allowing the freeing up of resources to tackle poverty and improve social conditions. Sudan¡¯s external public debt will be irrevocably reduced¡ªthrough HIPC debt relief and other debt relief initiatives anchored to the HIPC initiative¡ªby more than $50 billion in net present value terms, a sum that represents over 90% of Sudan¡¯s total external debt, if it reaches the HIPC Completion Point.

On October 25, 2021, the WBG paused disbursements in all of its existing government-led operations in Sudan and stopped processing any new operations due to the developments in the country. These measures were adopted in accordance with the World Bank , Dealing with De Facto Governments. These policies and procedures determine current and further steps in relation to operations in Sudan.

Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ is committed to remain engaged in Sudan to address immediate needs and preserve development gains. At the moment, the Bank's focus lies on offering support in line with the : staying engaged and preserving institutions and human capital, including support to the most vulnerable population. Despite the outbreak of conflict in April 2023, the Bank continues its support to Sudanese people and approved the ($130 million) on April 15, 2024, bolstering community resilience through the project¡¯s objective to improve access to basic services and food security. In this multi-sectoral intervention, the World Bank partners with UNICEF and WFP as well as non-governmental organizations to support farmers groups, small and medium enterprises, consumer organizations, and local communities, encompassing host communities and internally displaced people alike.

Following the closure of the World Bank office in Khartoum due to the ongoing conflict, a new transitional arrangement has been established to support the World Bank's engagements in Sudan. Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ established the Sudan Transitional Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in September 2024.

Last Updated: Oct 01, 2024

 The $100 million project implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP) provided cash transfers and food support to food-insecure households in selected areas of Sudan. Since its inception in September 2022, the project has provided social assistance through in-kind food distribution and cash transfers to 2,143,366 of the most food-insecure people across 12 states, exceeding the target of 2 million. The project reached 1,984,759 beneficiaries through cash-based transfers and 672,679 beneficiaries through in-kind food distribution. Following the onset of conflict in April 2023, the remaining funds were repurposed to support internally displaced populations and their host communities, ultimately aiding nearly 350,000 beneficiaries.

: The $61 million project aims to increase enrollment/retention and improve the reading proficiency of boys and girls in early grades of primary education in targeted disadvantaged schools. Key activities financed by the project include providing school grants, developing manuals and tools for the National Learning Assessment (NLA), initiating the curriculum review, and distributing 11 million textbooks. However, disbursements have been paused since October 2021 with the World Bank Operational Policy 7.30 in effect. The remaining funds are being repurposed to address urgent needs in Sudan through a third-party implementing entity.

: The SFSP was designed to complement economic reforms through the delivery of cash transfers to poorer Sudanese to assist in dealing with short-term shocks. As of October 2021, before the program was paused, over 2.5 million out of the targeted 6.5 million Sudanese families were registered, and $80 million had been transferred to over 1.48 million families.

: Financed through the Global Environmental Facility, the $19 million project aided the adoption of sustainable land and water management practices in more than 133,000 hectares of land in different parts of Sudan. More than 65,000 people (of whom 45% are women), benefited from the project, with 2,000 farmers benefiting from the project¡¯s livelihood activities.

: The $122 million project seeks to prevent, detect, and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19, and includes vaccination and the strengthening of national systems for public health preparedness. Till the closing date in December 2023, the project has supported the expansion of capacity for COVID-19 clinical care by providing healthcare facilities for COVID-19 patients, training 1,000 health staff in infection prevention and control, and providing life-saving medications and critical operational support to national vaccine roll-out. It has signed an agreement with UNICEF to deliver 5.3 million vaccine doses through the AVAT mechanism of the African Union to vaccinate an additional 12% of the population. The project contributed to the deployment of 9 million COVID-19 vaccines, which covered 19.3% of the targeted population (12.2% are fully vaccinated, 6.6% are partially vaccinated, and 0.7% have received a booster dose). The program also helped spread awareness-raising messages, including on COVID-19 and vaccination, to more than 6 million Sudanese. Health laboratories were equipped with supplies and the isolation centers were provided with life-saving medications to improve case management. Ninety-four health staff have been trained in infection prevention and control. Additionally, the program helped strengthen capacities regarding the safe management of healthcare waste by updating outdated guidelines, training 164 staff nationwide, and providing the necessary supplies. The program contributed to expanding subnational capacities to address Gender-based Violence (GBV) through the training of 125 nurses, midwives, and health promotors.

Last Updated: Oct 01, 2024

Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ is committed to collaborative partnerships that benefit the people of Sudan. Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ actively works with development and humanitarian partners, United Nations agencies, and international bodies to align objectives and effectively utilize resources. The goal is to make a lasting, positive impact on local communities.

During the Berlin Conference in June 2020, foreign donor nations pledged about $1.8 billion to help the Transitional Government fund part of its Humanitarian, Development and Social Impact Mitigation Assistance. The Sudan Transitional and Recovery Support (STARS) Multi-Donor Trust Fund was designed to raise donor contributions to finance the nationwide Sudan Family Support Program (SFSP) cash-transfer program to mitigate the social impact of a package of reforms and to support economic transition and peacebuilding. STARS received about $523 million from the Friends of Sudan as part of pledges made at the Berlin Conference. Most recently, it has supported the Sudan Emergency Safety Net Project to address food security risks. It operates thanks to generous financial contributions from Canada, the European Union, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the State and Peacebuilding Fund.

Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ deeply values the insights and contributions of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations (CSOs). These grassroots groups often have unique understanding of the challenges communities face. Considering the activation of World Bank Operational Policy 7.30, Dealing with De Facto Governments, the World Bank has increasingly engaged with UN agencies and International NGOs employing a third-party implementation modality to deliver World Bank projects in Sudan.

Last Updated: Oct 01, 2024