Sudanese Community Responders Honored at Clinton Global Initiative

The Clinton Global Initiative honored these local groups for their resilience in providing food, education, and health services amid ongoing famine and conflict. President Bill Clinton presented the award to the Funders for Mutual Aid in Sudan, a coalition led by the Center for Disaster Philanthropy that has successfully channeled over $16 million into local emergency response rooms. During the ceremony, coalition leaders committed to mobilizing an additional $5 million by the end of 2027 to further support these grassroots efforts.

Hanin Ahmed, founder of the Old Omdurman Emergency Response Rooms, used the platform to urge the international community to maintain its focus on the region. She emphasized that the crisis remains largely unheard despite the scale of suffering. Patricia McIlreavy, president and CEO of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, noted that the success of the initiative relies on trusting local leaders and providing flexible resources rather than imposing top-down solutions. The coalition, which includes donors like the Gates Foundation and the Global Fund for Women, has now shifted its focus toward sustaining these networks as the humanitarian situation in Sudan continues to deteriorate.