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Social media profiles from Khartoum to New York City and beyond have gone blue to show solidarity with protestors killed in Sudan. The hashtag #BlueforSudan has proliferated after Mohammed Hashim Mattar, a 26-year-old democracy advocate, was killed by security forces last week, according to The Guardian. But there's more that you can do than just update your social media. Below are organizations working in Sudan to donate to during the ongoing tension following Democracy protests and subsequent violent military crackdown.
The #BlueforSudan movement grew beyond just Mattar's death. Mattar's friend explained how the movement grew to draw attention to all the deaths. "It’s his favorite color and it was his display picture on all his social media accounts. Then it started being for all martyrs," a friend told The Telegraph.
In total, a local doctor's group — tied to the protest movement — estimates that 112 people have been confirmed dead. The group, the Sudanese Doctors’ Committee, says another 40 people were found in the Nile River after a massacre at the tents of democracy protesters.
The survivors in Khartoum are also suffering. After the killings, the capital went on a collective strike, according to The Guardian, but it only lasted two days because citizens were suffering as a result and talks were promised, Reuters reported. Reports also suggest the same military force that killed the protesters is now patrolling the streets, even as Euronews reports that the ex-president Omar al-Bashir is being charged with corruption.
Even in these circumstances, there are organizations on the ground that you can donate to in order to help the people of Sudan.
1UNICEF
UNICEF has been on the ground in Sudan working for 60 years, according to the organization's website. The United Nations Children's Fund has several programs operating in Sudan focused on health, nutrition, clean water, basic education, and child protection.
"Children & adolescents have been severely impacted by the recent violence in #Sudan," UNICEF Sudan tweeted on Tuesday. The organization also said it had delivered supplies to the Ministry of Health, which would distribute among hospitals in Khartoum in recent days.
2University of Khartoum Alumni Association in North America
An alumni association might sound weird given the circumstances, but the University of Khartoum Alumni Association has actually been one of the leading groups connecting foreign donations with needs on the ground, including food and medicine.
The group's Facebook fundraiser has raised almost $500,000 and the money funds a "wide network of community organizations and volunteers inside Sudan to reach families and individuals across the country who are impacted by shortages in food supplies and who have no access to proper medical care."
3World Food Programme
According to the World Food Programme (WFP), food insecurity is an issue in Sudan — even before the most recent instances of violence, some 5.5 million people were food insecure. The WFP, according to their Sudan country page, not only helps with food assistance but also connects farmers to markets, teaches about nutrition, provides school meals, and explores how the changing climate will affect food security in the country.
4Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps, a global organization providing humanitarian aid, also works in Sudan, since 1985. Its Sudan country page says the organization has helped farmers grow more food to sell at local markets, built the capacity of community organizations, and improved food security and brought clean water to communities and refugees around the country.
5Plan International
Plan International has been working in Sudan since 1977, according to their website. They focus on a number of programs on young people, trying to drive gender equality and respect across the country. To achieve this they also focus on water treatment and sanitation to reduce maternal and child mortality.
6Save The Children
Save the Children is also active in Sudan, where they work on health, education, nutrition, and humanitarian responses — both in and out of conflict zones. Their ultimate goal, their site says, is building up communities with sustainable development.
7Relief International
Relief International has been working in Sudan since 2004 and now offers a range of programs including nutrition programs, primary health care, reproductive health care, and more. Their website says 90% of the funds they receive reach programs in the field and 97% of their staff are hired locally.
These organizations are all working in Sudan and have programs and connections that directly respond to the needs of the people there, especially during conflict. Show solidarity online with the #BlueforSudan movement, and if you can, consider giving, too.
