In 2020, the EU allocated €4.9 million to GOAL to implement the HealthPro project in Kutum, Umbaro, and Serf Umra in North Darfur, an initiative that set out to improve access to treatment for nearby communities.  In collaboration with the State Ministry of Health, GOAL set out to raise the standards at 10 existing health facilities across these localities, enabling both local residents and war-internally displaced people (IDPs) to access health care services and essential medicines at significantly subsidised rates.

Previously, clinic staff faced poor infrastructure, inadequate medical supplies and irregular payments that contributed significantly to the high turnover of staff at the facilities. Over the past four years, GOAL has transformed these primary healthcare facilities by training healthcare workers, rehabilitating buildings, providing incentive payments in the absence of salaries, and ensuring each facility is always staffed with qualified medical teams and a functioning pharmacy. GOAL also constructed a new office in Umbaro, dedicated to the health management team to oversee the operations at these health facilities. When the war broke out, efforts  were focused on supporting existing clinics to increase their capacity in order to accommodate the needs of IDPs arriving from areas of active conflict. Throughout the ongoing conflict, GOAL staff never ceased their vital work. By January 2025, 150,000 people had successfully accessed healthcare services at these clinics. 

European Union, 2025

H.E. Ambassador-designate of Ireland to Sudan, Caitríona Ingoldsby emphasised GOAL’s lifesaving efforts in Sudan during the conflict stating:

The Government of Ireland is proud of our longstanding partnership with GOAL and their 30-year track record of delivering essential services to communities in Sudan. With EU funding, GOAL is providing primary healthcare to people across North Darfur, supporting their immediate needs in the current conflict whilst strengthening their health systems for the future. The EU and Ireland are committed to supporting Sudanese communities today and working together hand in hand for a brighter future.

GOAL staff worked at ensuring the targeted health facilities meet the infrastructure, staffing and service availability requirements to be covered under the National Health Insurance programme and receive drugs from the National Medical Supplies Fund (NMSF). This was followed by a campaign to raise the awareness of communities about the benefits of national health insurance and how it can help them finance their healthcare needs and facilitate their access to drugs at the targeted clinics at significantly subsidised rates.

H.E. EU Ambassador to Sudan Aidan O’Hara praised the crucial role of the clinics in North Darfur stating, 

GOAL's clinics in North Darfur make sure the people there have access to health services during the war. They are developing infrastructure, training health workers and encouraging communities to make healthy choices whenever they can. GOAL has prevented the complete collapse of the health system there and is building resilience as well as addressing immediate needs

With EU support, GOAL has now expanded this approach to health management and delivery to clinics in South Kordofan and White Nile states to help more people access health services. In South Kordofan alone, this has benefited 450,000 people to date. 

Since April 2023, the war in Sudan has stripped over 11 million people of their fundamental right to essential healthcare. And while the presence of the GOAL clinics offers some hope,  the situation in Darfur remains devastating with more families losing their lives, homes،schools and the future of their children as the region plunges deeper into conflict.