When Cash Can't Wait: Reimagining Payment Distribution in Sudan

Three years ago, conflict erupted in Sudan, and its toll continues to be devastating. The crisis has caused profound human suffering and dismantled the systems households once relied on to absorb shocks. The financial sector has been hit hard: liquidity has dried up, infrastructure destroyed, and social protection mechanisms unraveled.

Humanitarian actors have scaled up cash assistance, but face serious obstacles: limited liquidity, fragmented financial service providers, and complex payment processes. This has resulted in accumulated delays of up to 200 days in delivering cash transfers in the midst of a severe humanitarian crisis.

This episode explores an emerging solution: the Shared Distribution Network (SEND), designed by CGAP and the Cash Consortium of Sudan to cut delays and improve cost-effectiveness.  

Featured Voices 

• Rayan Nimir, Policy and Advocacy Advisor, Collective Sudan (formerly, Cash Consortium of Sudan)
• William Cook, Senior Financial Sector Specialist, CGAP    
• Hiba Al-Madani, a cash recipient and small business owner in Sudan   

Producer: Lamis Daoud, CGAP External Affairs Officer