Sudan, a northeast African nation bordering Egypt, has decided to send crop samples to the “doomsday” vault located on a remote Norwegian island in the Arctic. These samples consist of food crop seeds. But what is the reason behind Sudan’s decision?
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, commonly known as the “doomsday” vault, is situated deep within a mountain, where artificial caves have been carved out to store and safeguard food crop seeds from across the globe. The vault ensures the preservation of their genetic material in case of a future catastrophe.
Designed to endure a variety of natural and human-made disasters—including floods, blizzards, volcanic eruptions, climate change, wars, and nuclear crises—the vault was established in 2008. Since then, it has functioned as the world’s genetic repository, securing the genetic codes of thousands of crops and plant species.
Situation in Sudan
Although an apocalyptic event has yet to occur, the world continues to witness ongoing conflicts and wars—including in Sudan.
Unlike the widely covered wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Sudan’s civil war has received comparatively less attention, despite the country’s dire situation. The conflict erupted in April 2023 when clashes broke out between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces.
The war has resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of lives. According to a BBC report, by May 2024, Sudan’s civil war had claimed over 150,000 lives—surpassing the combined death tolls of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
In Sudan’s capital, Khartoum alone, more than 61,000 people had reportedly died by October 2024. The conflict has left hundreds of thousands injured and displaced over 12 million people, rendering them homeless. Additionally, more than half of Sudan’s population—approximately 50 million people—are suffering from hunger and severe malnutrition, with famine spreading across multiple regions.
The war’s devastation has not only affected people but also the country’s plants and animals, making the preservation of local crop genetic material crucial. “In Sudan…these seeds represent hope,” stated the director of Sudan’s Agricultural Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Research Centre.
Sudan is contributing crop samples from 15 different species, including multiple varieties of sorghum, a key crop vital to the nation’s food security and cultural heritage.
Alongside Sudan, several other countries are depositing seeds in the vault for preservation. These include Nordic tree species from Sweden and rice from Thailand.
In total, 14,022 new samples have been added to the collection.
The “doomsday” vault, protected by permafrost, has been receiving seed deposits from around the world since its establishment. Between 2015 and 2019, it played a critical role in restoring seed collections lost during Syria’s war. “The seeds deposited this week represent not just biodiversity, but also the knowledge, culture and resilience of the communities that steward them,” said Crop Trust Executive Director Stefan Schmitz in a statement.
