UK Government urged to show leadership in the response to Sudan crisis

As the UK and German governments convene a major global conference on Sudan in Berlin today, Age International is calling on the UK Government to show clear leadership and ensure older people are fully included in humanitarian and recovery efforts.

Sudan is facing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. Armed conflict, economic collapse and climate pressures have devastated the country, leaving more than 33 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Among them are 2 million older people, many of whom have been left without healthcare and the other essentials they need to survive. The crisis has also exposed older women to heightened risks of sexual and gender-based violence (GBV), exploitation and abuse.[1]

Lemlem Abraham, HelpAge International’s Age Inclusion Specialist for Sudan, describes the situation:

“Older people in Sudan have been displaced again and again, losing their homes, livelihoods and access to basic services, yet they remain largely excluded from humanitarian assistance. Despite this, they play an essential role, caring for children, sustaining community networks, sharing vital knowledge, helping to reduce social tensions, and protecting younger girls from violence. Older people contribute in all these ways, but they remain largely invisible in assessments, programme design and funding decisions.”

The UK Government has taken a lead role in supporting the international response to the crisis in Sudan. The aim of today’s conference is to agree plans for delivering large scale emergency relief and to chart a path towards stability to the region. Age International welcomes this leadership, but warns that unless older people are included now, the international response will fall short.

Age International, HelpAge International and HelpAge Germany, members of a global network committed to championing the wellbeing, dignity and rights of older people, are jointly calling on donor governments, including the UK, to put older people at the centre of humanitarian action, recovery planning and long-term resilience efforts in Sudan.

As a major humanitarian donor, the UK Government has a responsibility to ensure its aid does not leave older people behind. Age International is urging governments and donors to:

• Embed age, gender and disability inclusion across all humanitarian financing, strategies and accountability mechanisms.
• Drive practical action through inclusive programme design that ensures no one is left behind.
• Support mobile and outreach health services, particularly for victims of GBV, and remove documentation barriers that prevent people from accessing aid.
• Provide flexible, multi-year funding to local organisations, including Older People’s Associations, which are best placed to reach those currently being missed.
• Improve data quality by requiring sex, age and disability disaggregated data so that older people’s needs and contributions are visible, and resources can be effectively targeted.

Alison Marshall, CEO of Age International, stressed the importance of UK leadership at this time:

“As decisions are made in Berlin today, the UK Government must show clear leadership. Sudan is facing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. Recovery that includes everyone must be treated not as an aspiration, but as a requirement. Humanitarian responses that exclude older people cannot deliver lasting stability.”

[1] Gender-Based Violence in Sudan: Crisis Overview and Response Priorities in 2026 - Sudan | ReliefWeb