CRS Partners in Sudan

Catholic Relief Services works with the Sudan Catholic Bishops' Conference, local Church partners, civil authorities, U.N. agencies, other humanitarian aid agencies, and numerous civil society groups to serve the people of Sudan. By directly involving local communities in implementing relief and development activities, CRS enables Sudanese to help themselves.

In southern Sudan, we partner with the development offices of local Catholic dioceses as well as international and Sudanese organizations, including Sudan Medical Care.

In Darfur, we work closely with the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), the World Food Program, UNICEF, and other U.N. agencies. CRS also seeks to establish and empower community-led groups such as shelter committees, water and sanitation committees, and parent-teacher associations. These committees help CRS to identify and serve beneficiaries, plan and implement project activities, and evaluate and improve key programs. For example, locally organized food relief committees help CRS distribute emergency food rations to more than 150,000 people in 35 locations each month.

In Khartoum, CRS works with St. Joseph's Vocational Training Center, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the University of Khartoum and local organizations to train hundreds of displaced people each year in carpentry and electrical, mechanical and plumbing skills. In 2008, CRS launched an additional peacebuilding and vocational training program with Don Bosco Vocational Training Center in El Obeid to serve youth from Darfur. CRS also works with a number of community-based organizations in Khartoum, primarily to promote health programs and create savings and internal lending groups.