UK announces £5m aid for El Fasher, Sudan on 1 Nov
A quick content note: this piece mentions sexual violence and the impact of war on children and families. If you’re reading with students, build in time for check‑ins and breaks, and avoid graphic detail.
On 1 November 2025, the UK Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, announced an extra £5 million for emergency aid in Sudan. Speaking at the 21st Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, she condemned the violence and hunger around El Fasher in North Darfur. According to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK), about 260,000 people there-half of them children-are trapped in famine‑like conditions and cut off from help.
The new funding will pay for lifesaving support such as emergency food and medical care. £2 million is specifically set aside for services that support survivors of rape and sexual violence. The FCDO says this is on top of £120 million the UK is providing across Sudan this year through partners including the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Sudan Humanitarian Fund and Cash Consortium Sudan.
Here’s the basic conflict map we use in the classroom. Sudan’s national army is the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is a powerful paramilitary that grew out of militias in Darfur. The two sides have been fighting since April 2023. UN agencies and human rights groups have accused both of abuses against civilians; survivors’ voices must lead how we understand harm and recovery.
Why El Fasher matters: it’s the capital of North Darfur and a hub for markets, clinics and information. When officials say people are “surrounded by violence” and face “famine‑like conditions”, they mean families are surviving on very little food and water while hospitals struggle to function. Movement is dangerous, which is why aid routes matter so much.
How does aid reach people? Humanitarian organisations rely on safe, predictable corridors and fast approvals. In Darfur that often means two pathways: cross‑border entry from eastern Chad, and overland convoys from Port Sudan into the interior. Both can be blocked by fighting, checkpoints or slow paperwork. When the UK calls for “unhindered humanitarian access”, it means open roads, security guarantees, visas, fuel and permission for radios and medical supplies.
What might £5 million do on the ground? In emergencies, funds are converted into food staples, clean water support, basic medicines and trauma‑informed services. For survivors of sexual violence, that can include confidential clinical care, post‑rape treatment, safe spaces, psychosocial support and cash assistance so people can choose what they need. Local Sudanese organisations often lead this work because trust and language matter.
The UK says it is also pushing all parties to stop fighting, protect civilians and allow aid in, and it wants accountability for atrocities, including the reported use of rape as a weapon of war. Accountability can involve sanctions, evidence‑gathering and support for international justice. None of that replaces a political settlement, but it signals that attacks on civilians are not accepted.
Media literacy check for you and your students: treat numbers as estimates in a city under siege. Ask who gathered the data, over what period, and how they verified it. Read more than one account and look for whether both SAF and RSF actions are covered. Prioritise sources that centre civilian needs and explain how aid will actually reach people.
If you’re discussing this in a classroom or youth group, keep people safe. Offer a content warning, let learners opt out of detail, and focus on everyday needs-safety, food, water, dignity. Close by exploring practical solidarity: learning more about Sudan, supporting credible humanitarian organisations, and writing to representatives about protecting civilians and aid access.