Sudan faces the worst levels of acute food insecurity ever recorded. Over 25 million people—more than half of the population—are experiencing crisis or worse conditions.

Getting aid to these millions has become nearly impossible. From June to November, the rainy season turns the country’s roads into impassable rivers of mud. These rutted tracks wind through contested territories, cut off by a civil war that has forced 11 million people from their homes—the largest displacement crisis on earth.

In late 2024, Fogbow established an airbridge straight to South Kordofan, an isolated region facing starvation.

Fogbow Case Study

Flying Into a War Zone

80 flights. 80 days. 1,182 tons of food.

Civil war has engulfed Sudan since 2023, pitting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In South Kordofan, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) controls large areas independently of both warring factions, functioning as an autonomous governing body.

The Nuba Mountains, controlled by SPLM-N, have become a safe haven for civilians, especially non-Arab Black populations seeking safety from ethnic violence in Darfur and Khartoum. Nearly 700,000 people have fled to the region and formed a constellation of informal Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, each housing between 5,000 and 55,000 refugees in an area already home to nearly 3 million people. While the region has remained relatively stable compared to active conflict zones, the sudden influx has created severe food shortages.

More than 15 million Sudanese faced crisis-level food insecurity even before the war, and the conflict has further gutted farms, agricultural infrastructure, schools, and roads. A poor rainy season in 2023 and locust infestations reduced already limited food supplies, and host communities have exhausted their reserves. SPLM-N officials reported deaths from starvation, a first for the region. Many have resorted to eating leaves.

By 2024, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) ranked the region between Phase 3 (crisis) and Phase 5 (catastrophic famine). The international community then faced, and continues to face, significant challenges in delivering aid effectively due to security concerns and limited ground transport options. Many aid organizations ceased direct operations after a cargo plane was shot down over Sudan in October 2024, including The World Food Programme, with all WFP aid being delivered to South Sudan and then trucked across the border.

It was in this context that Fogbow identified a critical opportunity: establish an airbridge to deliver emergency food supplies directly to these isolated populations during the 2024 rainy season. This approach would bypass challenges on the ground and political complications, providing a lifeline to communities on the brink of famine.

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Establishing access

August–October 2024

Before we could deliver a single kilogram of aid, we needed to overcome significant diplomatic barriers. Sudan’s complex conflict involves multiple groups controlling different territories: the Sudanese Army (SAF) holds eastern regions and major cities, the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) controls large areas of western Sudan, while other armed groups, including the SPLM-N, govern scattered territories.

Our operation required a tripartite agreement from the Sudanese government, SPLM-N leadership, and South Sudanese authorities in Juba, from where our planes would depart. Under our one-month agreement, the aid would be split equally between areas controlled by SAF and SPLM-N. We were promised protection from interference by the SAF, though we still faced potential threats from RSF operations.

Geography

Our team of military aviation experts conducted a terrain analysis to identify viable drop zones and secure flight routes. Every potential location had to be evaluated against a matrix of considerations: proximity to displaced populations, ground conditions for landing, security from RSF forces, and clearance from both SAF and SPLM-N.

Two viable locations emerged:

Kadugli

The capital of South Kordofan, controlled by SAF, with a functioning airport

Julud

A remote village controlled by SPLM-N with an abandoned dirt air strip

Aircraft

With routes mapped, we turned to finding aircraft and operators capable of delivering cargo in an active war zone. We eventually secured a Lockheed L-100 Hercules, a civilian variant of a military aircraft capable of carrying between 15 and 20 tons of cargo.

Airbridge deployment

October 31, 2024

We fully funded the first two humanitarian flights in October and stationed our operational team on-site in Juba to oversee our entire logistics chain. These initial flights delivered 4.8 metric tons of maize to Kadugli using a “hot offload” procedure, and 16.2 tons to Julud via airdrop. Following our successful proof of concept, we scaled these two distinct delivery methods throughout the campaign.

Hot offload

October–December

In Kadugli, we were able to use a rapid “hot offload” procedure thanks to an asphalt airfield about 10 miles outside the village. This technique minimizes time on the ground, as the plane’s engines remain running while palettes are systematically unloaded. An average operation will take 31 minutes from touchdown to takeoff, keeping cargo damage to a minimum.

Low-altitude free airdrop

October–December

For Julud, where landing was impossible, we employed parachute-free airdrops from 1000 feet above the abandoned dirt airstrip. Each bag contained seven individually stitched layers with internal buffer space, allowing contents to spread upon impact and minimize damage. Ground teams collected the food aid dropped from the aircraft’s rear ramp.

Scaling Operations

November 1-19

We established a consistent delivery schedule during the first three weeks of November. Fogbow completed 18 flights with a single L-100 Hercules—10 to Kadugli and 8 to Julud—resulting in the delivery of 272.7 tons of maize, flour, beans, and salt.

November 22-29

We then contracted a second aircraft, nearly doubling our capacity in late November. In one week, both aircraft conducted 15 additional flights, delivering 195.11 tons of food aid.

December 3-29

Our momentum allowed us to successfully negotiate a 60-day extension to our tripartite agreement. Throughout December, our two aircrafts conducted 45 flights, delivering an additional 693.52 tons of critical food supplies to the region.

Dec. 31

Total flights

80

Nov. 29

35

Nov. 19

20

Introduction of

second plane

Oct. 31

2

Dec. 31

Total aid

delivered (MT)

1182

Nov. 29

489

Nov. 19

294

Oct. 31

21

Dec. 31

Total flights

Total aid

delivered (MT)

80

1182

Nov. 29

35

489

Nov. 19

294

20

Introduction of

second plane

Oct. 31

2

21

This operation addressed just one corner of a crisis that engulfs all of Sudan. According to the UN, over 30 million Sudanese across the country—more than half of the population—require urgent humanitarian assistance, including 16 million children. Many experts believe that it is only because of incomplete data that famine has not been declared in nearly every area of the country. The conflict has been marked by systematic ethnic violence, mass executions, sexual violence, and deliberate starvation tactics. Traditional aid organizations are severely restricted, and international funding has stalled, meeting only 13% of the $4.16B requested in the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan.

As Fogbow’s second major humanitarian project, the South Kordofan airbridge marks a successful demonstration of our rapid response capabilities. Given the continued and escalating crisis in the region, we will be scaling operations in Sudan and South Sudan.

Sources: Sudan food insecurity projects for October 2024 via Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC); 2024 rainfall by month via Climate Hazards Center Infrared Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS v3); estimated zones of control via Thomas van Linge

Meet the Fogbow team

Team

Team