Sudanese Volunteer Network Awarded Norway’s Rafto Prize For Life-Saving Humanitarian Work

A Norwegian human rights foundation has awarded its prestigious Rafto Prize to the Emergency Response Rooms, a Sudanese network of volunteer groups, recognising their “courageous work to preserve the most fundamental human right — the right to life.”

The Emergency Response Rooms emerged during Sudan’s devastating civil war in 2023, when fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces plunged the country into what the United Nations has called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The grassroots network has since played a critical role in sustaining essential services such as water and electricity, while distributing food and medical supplies to communities under siege.

“They consist of thousands of volunteers who engage in collaborative, community-driven efforts to meet urgent humanitarian needs of others, at great personal risk,” the Rafto Foundation said in its announcement on Wednesday. “They save lives and maintain human dignity in a place of misery and despair. Their innovative mutual aid efforts through citizen participation contribute to developing a civil society and are essential to building a better future for Sudan.”

The UN estimates that more than 12 million people have been displaced by the conflict, with famine threatening large parts of the country. Despite the risks, the Emergency Response Rooms have continued their work, embodying a model of resilience and solidarity amid chaos.

The Rafto Prize has a history of spotlighting groups and individuals who later go on to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Past laureates include Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar, East Timor’s José Ramos-Horta, South Korea’s Kim Dae-jung, and Iran’s Shirin Ebadi. This year’s Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on October 10 in Oslo, and the Peace Research Institute Oslo has already named the Emergency Response Rooms as a possible winner.

The prize comes with a diploma and $20,000 in prize money, but its greater significance lies in global recognition of the group’s life-saving work at a time when Sudanese civilians face unprecedented suffering.

Melissa Enoch

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