1 January 2026
This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian.
By Alamaldeen Ismail
Mutual aid remains at the heart of Sudan’s humanitarian response, and nowhere more so than in the western Darfur region, where the paramilitary-turned-rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has carried out some of the conflict’s worst abuses to date, displacing millions of people.
To document these grassroots efforts, Darfuri videographer Alamaldeen Ismail travelled in August 2025 to the border town of Tina, where he met displaced families and members of emergency response rooms – decentralised, neighbourhood-based groups delivering much of the lifesaving local aid.
Like many towns in Darfur, Tina has received large numbers of people fleeing RSF atrocities in recent months, and it has also come under aerial attack by the group, which is heavily backed by the United Arab Emirates.
Volunteers told Ismail they had “never seen violations” on this scale before, describing cases as “indescribable” and “beyond classification”.
Others said shrinking resources – including reduced international support – have forced them to cut back on food and water distributions, even as humanitarian needs continue to surge.
Still, they said they will not stop. “I volunteer because, first of all, I am Sudanese, and I love my people,” said Afaf Ishaq, a supervisor at the Tina emergency response room. “All of Sudan is like one family to me.”
Ismail’s video offers a window into Sudan’s nationwide mutual aid response – a vast grassroots effort involving thousands of emergency response room volunteers, as well as community groups, unions, and host families supporting those displaced by the war.
While this work has gained international recognition, it is increasingly under strain. As Sudan’s conflict – which has caused the world’s largest humanitarian crisis – approaches its third year, volunteers face severe financial insecurity and direct targeting by the different conflict parties.
See our dedicated page on mutual aid in Sudan for more in-depth coverage.
Video post-production by Sofia Kuan.
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The New Humanitarian puts quality, independent journalism at the service of the millions of people affected by humanitarian crises around the world. Find out more at www.thenewhumanitarian.org.