Hope on the front lines: What we saw during our return to Sudan

In December 2025, a small team from the World Bank touched down in Port Sudan, the interim capital of the de facto government. It was a quiet but significant milestone: our first visit to the country since the devastating conflict began in April 2023.

We didn’t go there with a stack of pre-written solutions. We went there to do something much more important—we went to listen. We kept hearing a simple but strong message: jobs are the promising path out of poverty and the clearest expression of hope. As we support Sudan’s recovery, we’re keeping a line of sight to employment—so that today’s development efforts help lay the groundwork for tomorrow’s livelihoods.

More than just numbers

When we read about conflict in the news, we often see statistics about displacement or economic decline. But on the ground, those numbers have faces. We met the doctors, teachers, and mothers’ group leaders who refuse to give up, even when the electricity is out and resources are thin.

They told us about the daily struggle of keeping clinics open when cash is scarce and the heart-wrenching difficulty of teaching in classrooms that lack basic furniture. Yet, despite the scars of war, the spirit of the Sudanese people remains unbroken. These services are investments in human capital—the health and skills that enable people to return to work, restore incomes, and rebuild dignity.

Seeing resilience in action
During our visit, we stepped out of the meeting rooms and into the places where life happens:

• At the Ahmed Ghasim Health Facility: We met midwives and doctors providing a lifeline for mothers and newborns. They aren’t just treating illness; they are providing nutrition and maternal care in a world where even getting an ambulance across town is a challenge. Keeping essential health services functioning today safeguards the workforce and creates jobs within the health system itself.
• At Elryan Primary School for Girls: We saw the power of a simple school grant. It’s more than just money; it’s the reason a young girl can still sit in a classroom today. The teachers there reminded us that education is the ultimate form of hope for a family’s future: it is a bridge to employment—especially for girls—so that learning today can translate into livelihoods and community resilience in the near future.

Lactating and Pregnant Mothers at Ahmed Ghasim Health Facility, Photo: Yoichiro Ishihara / World Bank Group

The road ahead: It takes a village

If there was one "big lesson" from our trip, it’s that international aid only works when it supports local heroes.

The World Bank Group is recommitting to working closely with UN agencies, international NGOs and local organizations in Sudan. Our focus, building back the things that make a community function: clean water, reliable electricity, and safe schools. We see that these are not only essential services but also the foundations of a job creation ecosystem—linking public services with gradual reopening of local enterprises and livelihoods.

We cannot ignore the shadows that remain—like the danger of landmines and the massive task of helping those who have lost their homes.

This matters

This visit did not fix the problems Sudan faces. But it did something vital: it rebuilt trust.

What stayed with us most wasn’t a policy paper or a spreadsheet. It was the image of a teacher showing up for her students and a nurse staying late for a patient. Their resilience deserves more than just our admiration—it deserves our partnership and our continued solidarity.

We are standing with the people of Sudan. Today, tomorrow, and for the long road to recovery.