The Sudan Social Development Organisation (SUDO) is a national, non-governmental organisation (NGO) registered with the Humanitarian Aid Commission in 2001. It was illegally dissolved in 2009 alongside other two national and thirteen international NGOs following the indictment of former President Omar Al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court. Although SUDO had successfully obtained a court order to overturn the decision for closure, the authorities refused to enact the verdict leaving SUDO de facto banned. At the time of its closure in 2009, SUDO was the largest independent NGO in Sudan with 13 offices and over 500 employees and volunteers across Sudan working on:
- Poverty alleviation and the eradication of hunger;
- Provision of basic needs (water, health, sanitation);
- Protection and conservation of the environment;
- Implementation of civil education programs and the eradication of illiteracy;
- Promotion of human rights;
- Helping local communities to mobilize efforts to face natural disasters and to provide humanitarian aid to people affected by disaster and war;
- Peacebuilding.
Notably as one of the few organizations operating in Darfur at the start of the conflict, SUDO was instrumental in building and operating a number of health and WASH centers, conducting nutrition and livelihood, camp management and education programs, in addition to undertaking human rights monitoring, peacebuilding, psychosocial support and conducting livelihood training.
From 2009 through 2019, SUDO continued through SUDO (UK), an NGO established in the United Kingdom to continue working toward its aims and objectives, notably focusing on human rights monitoring and supporting victims with healthcare, psychosocial support and legal aid. SUDO still retains the technical expertise, knowledge, connections and goodwill from the beneficiaries throughout Sudan to continue its work.
Following the collapse of the former regime, SUDO resumed its work in August 2019 and operates from a number of offices and centres throughout Sudan namely Khartoum, North Darfur (El-Fashir), South Darfur (Nyala, which is covering also East Darfur), West Darfur (Geneina), Central Darfur (Zalingei), Blue Nile (Demazine), Red Sea (Port Sudan), Kassala, Gedarif, White Nile (Kosti), Northern (Dongla) and River Nile (Atbara), South Kordofan (Kadugli), North Kordofan (Um Ruwaba) and West Kordofan (Elfula) with work station outpost in El-Nuhud. SUDO is currently executing a country-wide awareness raising project focussing on preparing grassroots communities for the Constitution Conference, in addition to youth engagement and civic education. SUDO are also engaging in several WASH projects in Khartoum and Darfur, emergency interventions in West Darfur, Central Darfur and Jebel Marra. SUDO is furthermore undertaking health project in Khartoum and West Darfur and livelihood and combating human trafficking project in Gedarif and Kassala, in addition to a number of projects related to COVID-19 ranging from awareness raising, hygiene promotion, the provision of medical assistance and food for vulnerable persons in various parts of Sudan. SUDO including street children.