The Wani IGGA FOUNDATION enters a complex and fragile operating environment marked by a severe humanitarian crisis. As of 2025, the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan targeted 5.4 million people, while a staggering 7.7 million faced high levels of food insecurity. The crisis is not monolithic; it is a confluence of factors including ongoing conflict, climate- related disasters, and economic hardship. Armed clashes, intercommunal violence, and the influx of nearly 850,000 returnees and refugees from neighboring Sudan have strained already scarce resources and services. Furthermore, recurrent floods, which have displaced hundreds of thousands, have devastated farms, livestock, and essential services like health and education, exacerbating food insecurity.
This challenging environment is compounded by significant systemic obstacles to humanitarian work. Aid delivery is often hindered by violence against aid workers, bureaucratic impediments, and the proliferation of illegal checkpoints. The government’s regulatory framework for non-governmental organizations can be complex, administratively draining, and used for “predatory rent-seeking activities” such as demands for fees or the confiscation of assets. The nation’s economy remains fragile and highly dependent on oil, which accounts for over 90 percent of government revenue.
This overreliance on a single commodity makes the country vulnerable to external shocks, such as the conflict in Sudan, which has disrupted oil transit routes. The prevailing political and security situation is at a “turning point,” with repeated violations of the Revitalized Peace Agreement threatening to reverse all gains and plunge the country back into widespread conflict. The foundation must operate with an understanding that its mission cannot be purely reactive. Its work must be framed within a long-term, resilience- building paradigm that addresses the interconnected root causes of these crises, from conflict to climate-induced resource competition.
