January – March 2026 

Sudan: Improving Safety for Returning Communities Through Community-Led Protection 

Following the withdrawal of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from neighborhoods in Khartoum North in 2025, displaced communities began returning to areas heavily damaged by conflict. A particularly high concentration of families returned to the Arkwait area. However, upon their return, the families encountered widespread destruction, collapsed infrastructure, and a lack of basic services.

After signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Social Welfare and the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) to establish operational access to the area, CPGs that had been established by CIVIC, in partnership with Sudan Aqwa, conducted a protection assessment. One of the most critical protection concerns identified in the assessment—particularly by women—was the absence of street lighting, which increased risks of theft, intimidation, and sexual and gender-based violence after dark. 

To address these findings, CIVIC, the CPGs, and Sudan Aqwa worked with the Khartoum State Ministry of Social Welfare and the Humanitarian Aid Commission to initiate the installation ofsolar-powered street lighting along key roads and public spaces in February 2026, improving visibility and enabling safer movement, particularly for women and girls at night. In parallel, sanitation and environmental campaigns addressed damaged sewage systems and deteriorating living conditions, contributing to improved health, dignity, and overall well-being for returning families. The project targeted approximately 1,500 households from the Arkwait community. 

Ukraine: Independently Functioning Community Civilian Protection Systems 

Between 23–27 February 2026, CIVIC conducted a final evaluation following the completion of a two-year PSOPs-supported project. The evaluation found that four frontline communities in Mykolaiv oblast (Pivdennoukrainsk, Arbuzynka, and Buzke) and Kherson oblast (Kochubeivka) had sustained and continued to independently operate the civilian protection systems that CIVIC helped them establish, even under active conflict conditions and without external facilitation. 

The assessment found that CPGs continued conducting risk assessments, holding community meetings to discuss protection concerns, developing emergency roadmaps, conducting first aid and evacuation trainings, carrying out mine and drone awareness activities, and providing procurement support for safety infrastructure.
Communities noted that these systems had produced many tangible improvements for community protection. For example, in Arbuzynka, participants specifically noted that sirens procured and installed through the project helped elderly residents in villages who do not use smartphone alert applications react more quickly to warnings. In Kochubeivka, shelter upgrades, including ventilation, equipment, and furniture, increased readiness for emergency use and enabled shelters to pass official inspections. Across all four communities, the protection systems maintained structured coordination, and community members involved in implementation had defined roles and responsibilities. These developments indicate a shift from externally supported activities to sustained locally-led protection operations. 

Somalia: Supporting the Adoption of a National Civilian Protection Policy 

CIVIC provided technical advisory support and sustained advocacy to the Federal Government of Somalia, leading to the development and approval of the National Civilian Protection Policy (NCPP) by the Cabinet of Ministers. Led by the Ministry of Defense in coordination with relevant federal institutions, the policy establishes a national framework for preventing, mitigating, and responding to civilian harm in conflict-affected and frontline areas. 

The NCPP introduces practical measures including early warning and risk communication systems, protections for displaced and vulnerable populations, safeguards for humanitarian personnel, and oversight mechanisms to strengthen accountability within security institutions. 

By supporting the design of a policy grounded in operational realities, CIVIC helped advance the institutionalization of civilian protection as acore responsibility of security actors. Following adoption, the Federal Government committed to developing a Civilian Protection Implementation Plan to operationalize the framework across ministries, security institutions, and Federal Member States.  This milestone creates a foundation for more consistent and accountable approaches to reducing civilian harm during military and security operations. 

Mali: Strengthening Civilian Protection through Civilian-Military Dialogue 

To address the growing impact of drug trafficking on civilian safety and community security in Bandiagara, CIVIC supported a civil-military dialogue that brought together CPGs, local authorities, and Defense and Security Forces. 

CIVIC formed and trained the CPGs on POC and advocacy, and also provided technical support to facilitate a structured dialogue process that included preparatory meetings followed by a joint workshop. This created a trusted and inclusive space where participants openly shared perspectives, concerns, and operational challenges related to drug trafficking and its effects on communities. 

Through the dialogue, participants jointly examined how drug trafficking contributes to protection risks. They highlighted its role in increasing violent criminality, strengthening armed and criminal actors, and exposing civilians to harm. Specific risks were identified across different groups: youth face drug use, coercion into trafficking, school dropout, and increased vulnerability to recruitment and exploitation; children are exposed to violence, trauma, and disruption of education; and women and girls face heightened risks of harassment, sexual and gender-based violence, and restricted movement affecting access to services and livelihoods. 

Participants also identified key vulnerabilities, including weak community alert systems, uneven security presence, limited use of reporting mechanisms, and the normalization of violence linked to drug circulation. 

The dialogue concluded with jointly identified action points and recommendations, including improving patrols in high-risk areas, strengthening checkpoint practices to make them more protective, and increasing awareness on reporting mechanisms. 

Nigeria: De-escalating Tensions Between Youths and Soldiers Through Community Mediation

On October 3, 2025, tensions rose in Madagali after community youths assaulted a soldier reportedly involved in forcefully seizing motorcycles at checkpoints. Recognizing the risk of further escalation, female members of the CPC reported the incident to the military unit commander and the community leader and sought urgent intervention.

The District Head convened a dialogue involving the youth leader, religious representatives, and the unit commander. Initial discussions were tense, with youths expressing frustration over perceived injustices and soldiers feeling misunderstood. To manage the high emotions, female CPC members drew on their training to engage the youths on the consequences of their actions for community stability. Many of these women were mothers, which is notable because women in maternal roles are often particularly influential amongst youth. Meanwhile, male CPC members and the community leader met separately with soldiers to understand their concerns. Through these parallel engagements, the CPC facilitated collaborative problem-solving, encouraging youths and soldiers to propose practical ways to improve safety and mutual understanding. The intervention successfully de-escalated the situation and established a foundation for ongoing constructive engagement between the community and security forces.

Somalia: Making Schools Safe for Children Through Civil–Military Dialogue

Following the collapse of the frontline in Adan Yabal, large numbers of frontline forces withdrew to Adale District and occupied civilian infrastructure, including Sh. Ahmed Wacdiyow (Gabiyow) Secondary School and Adale Primary School. The military use of these facilities exposed children—particularly girls—to heightened protection risks such as SGBV and forced the suspension of schooling.

CPGs  raised these concerns through CIVIC-facilitated civil–military dialogue, emphasizing the risks to children and the availability of alternative sites for military use, including a vacated African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) base. With CIVIC’s support, these concerns were escalated to senior Somali National Army leadership in Mogadishu.

As a result of this engagement, one school was fully vacated and is currently under renovation by a local NGO and SNA to be fully returned to civilian use once the renovation is complete. reopen. The Somali National Army also committed to vacate the second school within four weeks to allow for the relocation of personnel and logistics, creating the conditions for children to safely return to school and reducing protection risks in the community.

Ukraine: Faster Care When Every Minute Counts

In Arbuzynka and Pivdennoukrainsk, Mykolaiv Oblast, emergency response to mass casualty incidents in local hospitals previously lacked coordinated systems. Unclear roles, inefficient patient routes, and weak interdepartmental coordination often led to delayed care.

In May 2025, CIVIC awarded a CSO funding through an LIF to address these gaps. Through simulations, expert mentoring, and structured self-assessment, hospital teams analyzed their emergency response and implemented practical, low-cost improvements.Using the LIF support, patient pathways were redesigned, triage and zoning optimized, roles clarified, and standardized checklists introduced for rapid staff mobilization.

To assess project outcomes, the CSO measured the time required to transport a patient from the emergency admission area to the operating theatre before and after the intervention. Results showed that patients reached surgery 2.6 times faster, and overall response time to mass casualty incidents was reduced by 23%. Qualitative data supported the quantitative results, indicating that the reduction in response time was due to an increase in staff confidence and improvements in coordination. The initiative demonstrates how community-driven, system-based improvements focused on civilian protection can deliver measurable impact even under high-pressure, resource-constrained conditions.