Dr Mona Ibrahim, who leads a policy engagement team at the Accelerate Research Hub in DSPI, has been Highly Commended in the Emerging Impact category of the 2025 Social Sciences Impact Awards for her work on conflict-sensitive assistance in Sudan.
With more than half of Sudan’s population in need of humanitarian support, Dr Ibrahim’s team has helped front-line groups in Sudan to provide support that not only meets urgent needs but also facilitates long-term recovery.
“When social assistance is delivered in ways that are conflict blind, it can damage the same thing it is intended to fix,” says Dr Ibrahim, who has worked extensively in Sudan and whose family has been displaced by the crisis. “It can contribute to divides within communities, empower the wrong groups, or end up fuelling tensions. However, when assistance is not just delivered to communities, but shaped by them, this allows us to give people what they actually need – not what we think they need.”
The collaboration of a wide range of individuals and organisations is key to effective social assistance. The team’s research brought these parties together – from community activists and NGOs, to international organisations and bilateral agencies – to work towards the goal of reducing food insecurity.
“This research project helped us bridge those divides,” she explains. “We saw participants take conclusions back and embed them within their own institutions.”
Her research is already informing policymakers and humanitarian agencies in Sudan and beyond. Looking ahead, Dr Ibrahim stresses the importance of building on this momentum: “It is crucial that we consider research alongside social assistance in Sudan – to assess and inform conflict-sensitive delivery in this unravelling crisis.”
