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Sudan 2025 VNR
Main Messages
Sudan has made some progress in SDGs. Maternal and infant mortality rates declined. completion rate for primary education, preschool learning, vaccination, water and electricity supply, and IT coverage, increased. Main legislations to empower women reformed. Girls have achieved parity in general education enrollment. Forests conservation efforts were boosted.
Significant challenges to progress in SDGs remain, and plans were formulated to address them. However, at the time when Sudan was implementing them, the Rapid Support militia, initiated in 15 th of April 2023 a large-scale offensive.
The aggression unleashed a level of destruction unparalleled in Sudan’s history. It has displaced a staggering 30 percent of the population. Agriculture schemes attacked, resulting in food insecurity. Over 86 percent of the factories in Khartoum, the main industrial hub, were destroyed markets were burned to the ground, 49 percent of the bank’s branches were damaged and looted. Over 30 percent of the hospitals were damaged, medical equipment and stocks of medicines, cold chains including lifesaving vaccination, were vandalized. The country was exposed to disease outbreaks, including, cholera, malaria, and dengue. Schools were closed; the conflict has deprived over 90 percent of the school-age children of schooling. The water and electricity facilities were damaged by drone’s attacks. All museums and historical sites were destroyed. The economic growth contracted by an average of 22 percent in 2023-2024 and unemployment surpassed 45 percent, more than twice the pre-conflict level.
The scarring effects of the conflict has derailed the hard-won progress in SDGs. All SDGs were pushed back. The government is firmly committed to accelerate efforts to put them back on track. Testimony to that are the emergency measures adopted by the government, supported by humanitarian aid and grass root organizations to improve resilience and improve progress in SDGs during the conflict. The collapse of revenues by 80 percent was averted, fiscal control was gradually regained, and urgent
public expenditures were met. Banks started to function. The electronic transfer systems restored, and Bank of Sudan successfully changed the currency to curb inflation and currency counterfeiting. Food security situation improved, as agricultural inputs were secured, and grain production for 2024/2025, exceeded Sudan's annual food requirements. Schools were re-opened in many parts of the country. The gap in lifesaving and essential drugs was closed, vaccines were provided, hospitals were opened, capacity to combat epidemics was enhanced leading to reduction of main diseases to a reasonable level. Access to electricity and water improved. The grassroot organizations: Takaya and Emergency Response Rooms, supporting vulnerable groups in war zones, represented a lifeline for thousands of Sudanese.
Sudan has prepared a study to assess the destruction caused by the war and presented a vision for post-conflict early recovery, reconstruction. SDGs were mainstreamed into the vision. Given the level of destruction, the needs for recovery and reconstruction, to put SDGs back on the right path, are enormous.
Sudan will deal with a complex financing situation to implement its vision Raising revenues has been a formidable challenge prior to the conflict, exacerbated by the massive destruction to the economic base. Sudan is also deprived of access to external concessional borrowing because of external debt. Moreover, donors suspended their development aid to Sudan.
Sudan will improve PFM to mobilize domestic revenues and will create conducive environment for the private sector to unlock more resources. Investment and PPP laws are already reformed. However, the reconstruction burden, is too great for Sudan to shoulder alone and requires a significant flow of external assistance along with a HIPCs debt relief to meet reconstruction needs and accelerate SDGs implementation.
