UNESCO initiatives in Port Sudan supported more than 350 people — Al Jazeera
In Port Sudan, Sudan, UNESCO initiatives had supported more than 350 artists, women, girls and internally displaced cultural workers as of April 2026. Al Jazeera reports.
Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began in April 2023. The war damaged the country’s cultural life: heritage sites were damaged, while artists were killed or forced to leave behind studios, galleries, works and materials needed for their work. In June 2026, UNESCO estimated Sudan’s cultural sector funding gap at $30 million.
Artists’ work in Port Sudan
Artist and theatre director Awad Harun left Al-Halfaya in North Khartoum for Port Sudan with his wife and son after the war began. He left behind his home, creative studio and the tools needed for his work. In Port Sudan, Harun used his skills in sculpture, design and decoration, took part in theatre productions at the Wasel festival, organised by the Ahalina cultural group in partnership with UNESCO, and held workshops on traditional arts.
In 2013, Harun founded the Ahalina cultural group together with young people. It uses theatre, visual art, music and puppet performances to work with young people and promote peace and social cohesion. Harun and other displaced artists found shelter in an old school in Port Sudan, which they helped prepare for families who had left their homes. At the same time, they fear possible eviction.
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Music and assistance for displaced people
Musician and filmmaker Asim Abdelaziz arrived in Port Sudan in November 2023, having left El Obeid because of intensified fighting and repeated drone attacks. He lives in a shelter for displaced artists and works with the local Writers and Artists Union, UNESCO and civil society organisations.
Abdelaziz founded the Mokhalaya project, which documents and archives traditional music and rhythms from different regions of Sudan. According to him, music can counter hate speech, racism and deepening divisions among the country’s different communities.
Abdelkader Hashem, secretary of the Red Sea State Writers and Artists Union, said the organisation set up a shelter for displaced artists at the school and appealed to local and international organisations for assistance in meeting their basic needs. The union also implemented projects with UNESCO to teach children in displaced persons’ camps crafts, including making concrete products. According to Hashem, most displaced artists returned to their homes in Khartoum after the Sudanese army regained control of the capital.
