Rights Report from the Heart of Khartoum: “Grave Violations in the Distribution of Humanitarian Aid and the Monopoly of UNICEF-Linked Relief Supplies”

Khartoum | Special Report

The Sudanese National Observatory for Human Rights documents, through field sources and verified testimonies, serious violations in the mechanisms of humanitarian aid distribution inside the capital, Khartoum. These violations include the diversion of relief supplies intended for the most vulnerable families into informal channels, including private homes, away from officially designated distribution centers.

Nature of the Violations
Information collected by the Observatory indicates a systematic pattern of manipulation involving:

Diversion of relief shipments: Aid is being offloaded at unmonitored locations instead of being delivered directly to beneficiaries through official channels.

Repackaging and concealment: Food items and essential goods are removed from their original packaging, donor logos are erased, and the items are repackaged into generic commercial bags to obscure their source.

Resale in local markets: These goods are later transferred to local markets and sold at inflated prices on the black market, depriving eligible families of their right to free humanitarian assistance.

Monopoly and Restricted Access to Aid
The Observatory has also recorded alarming indications of the monopolization of certain relief supplies linked to UNICEF programs, with distribution controlled through informal networks. This severely limits access to assistance for targeted groups, particularly children and highly vulnerable families.

Field Testimonies
A field monitor reported:

“What is happening is a blatant exploitation of people’s suffering. Humanitarian aid is being turned into commercial goods sold after their original markings are removed, amid an almost complete absence of effective oversight.”

Humanitarian Impact
These practices result in:

Worsening food insecurity in affected neighborhoods.
Eroding community trust in humanitarian work and international organizations.
Depriving the most vulnerable—especially women and children—of their basic rights to food and assistance.

Causes Behind the Spread of the Violations
Available evidence suggests that these abuses are linked to:

Lack of transparency in beneficiary lists.
Weak logistical tracking and monitoring systems.
Absence of effective field oversight and legal accountability.

Observatory Recommendations
The Sudanese National Observatory for Human Rights calls for the establishment of public distribution centers subject to independent community monitoring, the launch of urgent and impartial investigations, and the prosecution of all individuals involved in diverting humanitarian aid for commercial gain.

The Observatory stresses that the continuation of these violations constitutes a serious infringement of the right to food and the right to humanitarian protection—both fundamental rights guaranteed under international human rights law and international humanitarian law. It further emphasizes that these practices occur at a time when Sudan is facing one of the world’s worst hunger crises, according to United Nations humanitarian assessments, which indicate catastrophic levels of food insecurity.