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.”

Ends

NOTES TO EDITORS 

Key Sudan Crisis Facts: 

• The 2026 UN Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Sudan is severely underfunded, with only 16.8% of the required US$2.87 billion secured as of April 14, 2026. Source: UN OCHA, 2026. 

• The 2026 Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan (for refugees and host communities in seven neighboring countries, including Chad and South Sudan) is severely underfunded, with only 10% of the required $1.6 billion secured as of April 13, 2026. Source: Refugee Funding Tracker, 2026. 

• By the end of 2025, both the Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan and the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Sudan for that year remained critically underfunded, forcing agencies to suspend critical protection and aid services. 

• Nearly 34 million people in Sudan — 65% of the population — currently require urgent humanitarian assistance, making it the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Source: UN OCHA, 2026  

• The conflict in Sudan has forced an estimated 14 million people from their homes, creating the world’s largest displacement crisis. Approximately 4.4 million have fled to neighbouring countries, particularly Chad and South Sudan — countries already grappling with hunger and insecurity. Source: UNHCR, 2026. 

• An estimated 12.7 million people require support related to sexual and gender-based violence. Source: UN Women, 2026. 

Key Project Facts: 

Funding: $8.5 million CAD from Global Affairs Canada in first year (2026)
Duration: 24 months (April 2026 – March 2028)
People reached: 429,320 (Sudan: 306,000; South Sudan: 45,000; Chad: 78,320)
Sectors: Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); health and sexual and reproductive health (SRH); protection and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) response
Consortium partners: CARE Canada (lead; implementing in Sudan), Oxfam Canada (implementing in South Sudan), CLWR/Lutheran World Federation (implementing in Chad) 

ABOUT THE PARTNERS 

CARE Canada is part of a global confederation working in over 100 countries to save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice. CARE puts women and girls at the centre of our work because we know we cannot overcome poverty until all people have equal rights and opportunities.
Oxfam Canada is part of a global network working in 76 countries supporting partners and communities to end the injustice of poverty and inequality and responding to humanitarian emergencies by focusing on women’s rights.
Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) is a Canadian humanitarian and development organization, rooted in faith and sustained by grassroots action since 1946. With the Lutheran World Federation, CLWR provides lasting help in catastrophe, defends the right to refuge, and fights for the futures of communities across more than 20 countries. 

Media Contacts 

CARE Canada: McKinley Charles, Deputy Director of Communications & Public Engagement, mckinley.charles@care.ca, +1 647 852 0862
Oxfam Canada: Diana Sarosi, Director of Policy, Campaigns and Communications, diana.sarosi@oxfam.org, +1 819 329 3964
CLWR: David Turner, Director of Communications, david@clwr.org, + 1 204 299 7647