Sudanese volunteers from the Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) network are risking their lives to deliver aid in the country's war zone, with many hiding their work from family and friends to avoid becoming targets. The network, which has effectively replaced the collapsed state, provides life-saving food and medical care to millions amid the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Volunteers like Amira, who asked not to use her real name, secretly cross frontlines to counsel women and children who have been raped. She says: 'You have to sneak in and hope you make it back.' Both the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) view volunteers with suspicion, leading to constant interrogation and danger.
At least 145 volunteers are believed to have been killed, with many more arrested or disappeared. Alsanosi Adam, another volunteer, says: 'You risk anything from intimidation to death. From torture to being killed – and anything in between.' He lost a friend who was detained, tortured, and died in prison.
The ERRs were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize this year but did not win. Volunteers say they are unfazed, with one, Jamal, stating: 'We only want to help.' The network has grown so large that analysts consider it fundamental to any postwar future for Sudan.
The volunteers recently visited London, where they briefed Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, who called them 'incredibly brave'. A Foreign Office spokesperson said: 'Emergency Response Rooms are risking everything to deliver life-saving aid where no one else can reach – their service to humanity is extraordinary.'
