President Clinton Presents Award to Sudanese Emergency Rooms

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The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) awarded the 2026 Clinton Global Citizen Award to Sudan’s Emergency Rooms. Meanwhile, members of the "Sudan Solidarity Aid Coalition"—which was also honored—pledged an additional 5 million in flexible funding by the end of 2027 to bolster Sudanese-led response and recovery efforts.

The Initiative stated that the honor was bestowed "in recognition of the extraordinary efforts of thousands of Sudanese community groups, which continue to provide food, education, and essential services to more than 20 million people affected by the worlds largest humanitarian crisis since the outbreak of civil war in Sudan over three years ago."

Presenting the award during the Initiative’s annual meeting in New York last week, President Bill Clinton said, "As the war in Sudan continues, a coalition of mutual aid funders is helping to sustain local networks like the Emergency Response Rooms. We have a responsibility to stand by them for as long as the need exists, and I commend them for expanding their commitment to this work."

Haneen Ahmed, a representative of the Emergency Rooms and founder of an emergency room in Omdurman, appealed to donors, saying, "Keep your eyes, actions, and efforts on Sudan. The loudest crisis is not always the one that is heard. Sudan is screaming and bleeding. Will you listen and act?" The recognition honored representatives of the "Sudan Solidarity Aid Alliance," a humanitarian coalition comprising over 20 entities led by the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP). The alliance works to support emergency response rooms, initiatives, and national organizations across various Sudanese states.

Speaking on behalf of the alliance, Patricia McIlreavy, President and CEO of the CDP, stated that this recognition demonstrates what is possible when the Center’s partner foundations trust local leaders, provide flexible resources, and follow the lead of those closest to the crisis.

She added, "The alliance’s role is to help ensure these leaders have the resources and flexibility needed to continue their work, and we are proud to deepen this commitment in the coming year."

The Sudan Solidarity Aid Alliance successfully raised over 16 million for the 2024–2026 period to support local efforts, scale up life-saving services, address urgent needs, and lay the groundwork for recovery in communities affected by conflict and famine.

The international alliance includes a group of prominent donors and foundations that have contributed generous funding to support local responders in Sudan—such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Global Fund for Women, and Urgent Action Fund-Africa—alongside organizations providing technical and research support, including the Norwegian Refugee Council and the Sudan Crisis Coordination Unit. The Emergency Response Rooms have garnered widespread local and international acclaim, attracting increasing attention within the international humanitarian community. Since the outbreak of the war in Sudan, they have received seven international awards: the 2026 Balzan Prize for Peace and Fraternity Among Peoples; the 2025 Chatham House Prize; the 2025 Rafto Prize for Human Rights (often referred to in the media as the "Alternative Nobel Prize"); the 2025 Swedish Right Livelihood Award; the 2025 Richard C. Holbrooke Award for International Advocacy; and the 2025 European Union Human Rights Award in Sudan.

Additionally, they were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times during 2024–2025 by the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) as a symbol of hope and resilience; furthermore, the AidEx platform nominated Al-Sanousi Adam—the external communications coordinator for the Sudan Emergency Response Rooms—for the "Humanitarian Hero of the Year" award for 2025.