Joint Canadian Humanitarian Response to Sudan Crisis Launches with $8.5 Million in Initial Government Support
Three Canadian organizations join forces to deliver coordinated support across Sudan, South Sudan, and Chad as war enters its fourth year
OTTAWA, APRIL 15, 2026 — As the war in Sudan enters its fourth year, the Government of Canada has announced $8.5 million in funding for the first year of a two-year joint humanitarian response led by CARE Canada, Oxfam Canada, and Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR).
Announced today as part of Canada’s pledge at the International Ministerial Conference on Sudan in Berlin, the funding will support a coordinated, cross-border response to one of the world’s most severe — and most underfunded — humanitarian crises. The conflict has displaced an estimated 14 million people, devastated health and sanitation systems, and tripled the number of women and girls at risk of sexual violence.
The two-year project will support more than 429,000 people across Sudan, South Sudan, and Chad with water and sanitation services, essential health care, and protection.
CARE Canada, Oxfam Canada, and Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) are three of Canada’s most trusted humanitarian organizations. Each has years of operational presence in some of the hardest-to-reach areas of the crisis.
CARE Canada leads the consortium and will work with local partners to deliver water, sanitation, and essential health services in displacement camps and host communities across South Darfur, East Darfur, and Khartoum states in Sudan. The response prioritizes the needs of women and girls who face disproportionate risks.
“Women and girls are facing some of the most severe impacts of this crisis. Many must walk long distances in search of clean water, putting them at greater risk of sexual violence. At the same time, pregnant women are losing access to the health care they need for a safe pregnancy and childbirth,” said Julie McKinlay, CARE Canada’s director of humanitarian resilience. “With this funding, we will be able to provide women, girls and their families with services they urgently need.”
Oxfam Canada will work with refugee and host communities in Renk, Upper Nile State, South Sudan — a critical border crossing point where hundreds of thousands of people have arrived fleeing the fighting. Oxfam will work with its partner to deliver critical protection and water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions to vulnerable populations.
“People are fleeing Sudan as a result of unimaginable violence. Thousands of people arrive daily in search of safety in South Sudan. There, they are met with an overstretched humanitarian response that has been struggling to meet growing needs. With the support of Global Affairs Canada, we will deliver critical assistance to communities in time of great need.” said Dalia Al-Awqati, deputy director of humanitarian affairs at Oxfam Canada.
CLWR, through its implementing partner the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), will deliver integrated water, sanitation, and protection programming in Chad’s Ouaddaï and Sila provinces, where LWF has maintained continuous operations since 2007.
The Government of Canada’s commitment to fund this consortium signals that an effective humanitarian response to the Sudan crisis requires not just generosity, but coordination — organizations working together across borders, pooling expertise, and staying present for the long term.
“The war in Sudan has created the largest displacement crisis in the world, and the people affected cannot afford to wait,” said Rev. Michael Pryse, executive director of CLWR. “This funding allows our organizations to deliver clean water, health care, and protection to more than 429,000 people across three countries — the kind of coordinated, cross-border response this crisis demands.”
Photo credit CARE Canada.