1001 Smart Cities
🇸🇩 Khartoum

Bankak: a Banking App as Wartime Lifeline

🤖 AI-generated summary of the sources below · 🔎 Last verified · ◆ 10 sourced claims, none individually verified yet

This overview was generated with AI from the public sources listed below and checked against them before publication. It has not had a complete human fact-check — treat it as a starting point and follow the sources.

How this atlas is made · What “last verified” means · What “source-checked” means · The full record behind this page

✎ Updated 20 Aug 2026 Publication date recorded for 6 sources. What changed →

Bankak, the mobile banking app of the privately owned Bank of Khartoum, launched in 2014 and became the capital's default way to pay after war broke out in April 2023: with bank branches in Khartoum and Omdurman looted and cash supplies halted, residents used it to buy groceries, pay for transport and receive remittances from abroad. The dependence cuts both ways. The app crashed repeatedly in the first weeks of fighting, staying down for as long as four days in a row, and the nationwide telecom blackout of February 2024 — imposed, digital-rights groups and press reported, after RSF fighters took control of providers' data centres in Khartoum — cut users off from their balances entirely. Where banknotes have run out, traders charge commissions of 10-25% to convert app balances back into cash.

Live 📅 since 2014
Outcome🔄 Ongoing
Evidence📰 Media
what does this mean?The strongest source is press reporting; no primary evaluation was located. It grades who did the looking — not how well the project went. All four grades →
Run byBank of Khartoum (private commercial bank)
Scale🌍 National

📊 Impact

The Bank of Khartoum reported an 85% increase in app activations since the start of the war and around seven million users by February 2024 — the bank's own figures, given to The New Humanitarian; no independent audit of usage exists.

🎓 Lesson

A payment app can become a city's most critical infrastructure by default and still answer to no one: Khartoum's wartime economy runs on one private bank's servers and whatever connectivity survives. In the war's first weeks, families reported cutting back to one meal a day when the app was down.

👥 SocietyDigital government

Sources

↗ The New Humanitarian — Digital money apps become a lifeline for war-affected Sudanese (7 Feb 2024)Carries the 2014 launch, the 85% activation rise and ~7 million users (bank board chair Fadl Mohamed Khair), uses and limits. Site returns 403 to automated fetches; figures confirmed via search snippets and the allAfrica syndication of the same piece.
↗ The New Arab — Millions stranded as banking app goes offline (12 May 2023)May 2023: app down up to four days in a row, looted branches in Khartoum and Omdurman, reliance for groceries/transport/remittances, one-meal-a-day quote (Hala al-Karib). Fetched and read in full.
↗ Al Jazeera — Network blackout cuts communications for millions in war-torn Sudan (7 Feb 2024)The February 2024 nationwide network blackout and its effect on people dependent on mobile money amid the cash shortage.
↗ Access Now — #KeepItOn: Sudan's communications shutdown must be reversed urgently (2024)Published 9 February 2024 · updated 13 February 2024Digital-rights documentation of the February 2024 communications shutdown and the reported RSF takeover of providers' facilities in Khartoum.
↗ Bank of Khartoum — Bankak (operator page)Operator's own description of the app: accounts, transfers and bill payments (including SEDC electricity). Confirms the service is live in 2026.
Show 1 more sourcesShow fewer
↗ ReliefWeb — Cash crisis exacerbates famine in Darfur and KordofanPublished 22 September 2024Documents 10-25% commissions charged by traders to convert Bankak balances into cash in Darfur and Kordofan, higher in besieged El Fasher.

📅 How old is the evidence?

Two clocks, kept apart: when this entry’s sources were published, and what has happened to its record in the atlas. Documented span: since 2014. 4 of 6 sources carry a publication date, from 7 February 2024 to 22 September 2024.

When the sources were published

  1. The New Humanitarian · pressThe New Humanitarian — Digital money apps become a lifeline for war-affected Sudanese (7 Feb 2024)
  2. Al Jazeera · pressAl Jazeera — Network blackout cuts communications for millions in war-torn Sudan (7 Feb 2024)
  3. Access Now · ngoAccess Now — #KeepItOn: Sudan's communications shutdown must be reversed urgently (2024) · updated 13 February 2024
  4. ReliefWeb (UN OCHA) · international organisationReliefWeb — Cash crisis exacerbates famine in Darfur and Kordofan

Every source, with links ↑

What happened to this record

  1. Entered the record
  2. Sources last read
  3. Publication date recorded for 6 sources

Every revision, permanent →

Show your work What this page rests on and what it can’t tell you · all 10 claims with their sources · the forensic record

Evidence Passport · public beta 10 addressable claims, 6 source dossiers, one permanent baseline. The passport is unreviewed — an AI-assisted structural migration, not a human or expert endorsement. Every revision keeps a permanent copy under revision history.

Inspect the claims, one by one — verbatim text, sources and caveats for all 10

The text below is copied verbatim from the published record. Each claim names the source dossiers that carry it; caveats stay attached to the claim they qualify.

Claim 2 clm-49c8e377327a5e57 descriptive
with bank branches in Khartoum and Omdurman looted and cash supplies halted
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The New Arab reported in May 2023 that banks in Khartoum and Omdurman were targeted by looting and bombing, halting cash supplies.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. The New Arab — Millions stranded as banking app goes offline (12 May 2023)
Claim 3 clm-5962ef3a47330cc3 descriptive
buy groceries, pay for transport and receive remittances from abroad
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
Both outlets describe the app being used nationwide for groceries, transport and remittances from abroad during the war.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. The New Humanitarian — Digital money apps become a lifeline for war-affected Sudanese (7 Feb 2024)
  2. The New Arab — Millions stranded as banking app goes offline (12 May 2023)
Claim 4 clm-99862cc827c893b1 descriptive
staying down for as long as four days in a row
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The New Arab reported the app had been down for as long as four days in a row in May 2023.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. The New Arab — Millions stranded as banking app goes offline (12 May 2023)
Claim 5 clm-95ab2cfe2a05cd27 quantitative
the nationwide telecom blackout of February 2024
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
Access Now and Al Jazeera documented the nationwide communications shutdown that began in early February 2024, cutting off all three mobile operators.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Access Now — #KeepItOn: Sudan's communications shutdown must be reversed urgently (2024)
  2. Al Jazeera — Network blackout cuts communications for millions in war-torn Sudan (7 Feb 2024)
Claim 6 clm-afd3f2e177767ada descriptive
after RSF fighters took control of providers' data centres in Khartoum
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
Digital-rights groups and press tied the shutdown to RSF fighters taking control of operators' facilities in Khartoum.
Caveat
Attribution as reported by rights groups and press; the RSF did not confirm responsibility.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. Access Now — #KeepItOn: Sudan's communications shutdown must be reversed urgently (2024)
Claim 7 clm-3241f971f9f502ec quantitative
traders charge commissions of 10-25% to convert app balances back into cash
Published field
snippet · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
Humanitarian reporting documents commissions of 10-25% charged to turn Bankak balances into banknotes.
Caveat
Rates documented in Darfur and Kordofan, the worst-hit regions; in besieged El Fasher premiums ran higher still.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. ReliefWeb — Cash crisis exacerbates famine in Darfur and Kordofan
Claim 8 clm-40aa02cf9468d8e4 quantitative
an 85% increase in app activations since the start of the war
Published field
impact · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
The bank's board chair, Fadl Mohamed Khair, gave the 85% activation-increase figure to The New Humanitarian.
Caveat
Operator-reported; no independent audit of user numbers exists.

Sources carrying this claim

  1. The New Humanitarian — Digital money apps become a lifeline for war-affected Sudanese (7 Feb 2024)
Claim 10 clm-e11b09358c22e696 descriptive
families reported cutting back to one meal a day when the app was down
Published field
lesson · verbatim
Mapping
mapped · no interpretation or interpolation added by this passport
What the mapping says
Activist Hala al-Karib told The New Arab that civilians reduced food consumption to one meal a day because Bankak was not working.
Caveat
No claim-specific caveat recorded

Sources carrying this claim

  1. The New Arab — Millions stranded as banking app goes offline (12 May 2023)
Forensic record — source dossiers, gaps, hashes and the exact revision this page renders

This layer records what is known about each source, what is still missing, and the exact snapshot this page is rendering. A missing date, archive or hash stays visible as missing.

unreviewed Revision 2026-08-20-source-dates-b2 effective 2026-08-15 · created 2026-08-20

Awaiting operator and domain-expert review; publication of this revision implies neither.

sha256:fe8f61f67cc99be4b6a7a556935292f0f96984b251a0387f5cd988590232c4e5
Revision history → Permanent version link → Machine-readable record → Evidence Constitution →
10
of 10 claims mapped
6
source dossiers
5
publication dates recorded
0
archives linked
0
exact locators
0
content captures hashed

Governance facts carried by the record

Operator
Bank of Khartoum (private commercial bank)
Actor types
private
Funding model
private
Funding description
Not recorded
Cost
Not recorded
Ownership
Not recorded
Decision rights
Not recorded
Exit conditions
Not recorded

6 source dossiers

The New Humanitarian — Digital money apps become a lifeline for war-affected Sudanese (7 Feb 2024) thenewhumanitarian.org · 4 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-21695da25ed56809
Publisher
Name not classified · thenewhumanitarian.org
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2024-02-07
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-08-15
Dossier created
2026-08-20
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Carries the 2014 launch, the 85% activation rise and ~7 million users (bank board chair Fadl Mohamed Khair), uses and limits. Site returns 403 to automated fetches; figures confirmed via search snippets and the allAfrica syndication of the same piece.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
The New Arab — Millions stranded as banking app goes offline (12 May 2023) newarab.com · 4 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-9115023a0c970b3f
Publisher
Name not classified · newarab.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2023-05-12
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-08-15
Dossier created
2026-08-20
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

May 2023: app down up to four days in a row, looted branches in Khartoum and Omdurman, reliance for groceries/transport/remittances, one-meal-a-day quote (Hala al-Karib). Fetched and read in full.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Al Jazeera — Network blackout cuts communications for millions in war-torn Sudan (7 Feb 2024) aljazeera.com · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-0ccbcbb9d1d2d243
Publisher
Name not classified · aljazeera.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2024-02-07
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-08-15
Dossier created
2026-08-20
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

The February 2024 nationwide network blackout and its effect on people dependent on mobile money amid the cash shortage.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Access Now — #KeepItOn: Sudan's communications shutdown must be reversed urgently (2024) accessnow.org · 2 linked claims

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-9f33c9df805b5e2d
Publisher
Name not classified · accessnow.org
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2024-02-09
Updated
2024-02-13
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-08-15
Dossier created
2026-08-20
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Digital-rights documentation of the February 2024 communications shutdown and the reported RSF takeover of providers' facilities in Khartoum.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Bank of Khartoum — Bankak (operator page) bankofkhartoum.com · background

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-22ddaba3b5326256
Publisher
Name not classified · bankofkhartoum.com
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
Not recorded
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-08-15
Dossier created
2026-08-20
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Operator's own description of the app: accounts, transfers and bill payments (including SEDC electricity). Confirms the service is live in 2026.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Background source; no baseline claim points here
ReliefWeb — Cash crisis exacerbates famine in Darfur and Kordofan reliefweb.int · 1 linked claim

Open original source ↗

Stable source ID
src-f643a1c719797300
Publisher
Name not classified · reliefweb.int
Type / language
web-page · language not classified
Published
2024-09-22
Updated
Not recorded
Source last checked
No source-level check date
Record last verified
2026-08-15
Dossier created
2026-08-20
Retrieved copy
No local capture recorded
Archive
No archived copy linked
Content hash
No captured content hash
Locator
Open the recorded source note

Documents 10-25% commissions charged by traders to convert Bankak balances into cash in Darfur and Kordofan, higher in besieged El Fasher.

Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Claims linked
Known limits of this passport
  • Publisher names and source languages have not yet been classified; domains are recorded without guessing.
  • Existing source notes are descriptive locators, not page- or paragraph-exact citations.
  • A missing archive, publication date or content hash is shown as null rather than inferred.
  • The project-level evidence grade ranks the strongest source in the entry; it is not a truth score for every claim.

Continue exploring

Compare this project

🇸🇩 EBS National Payment Switch · Khartoum Bankak's transfers ride the rails EBS runs: the private app never stopped for long; the state switch behind it was restored in 2026. 🇺🇦 Kyiv Digital municipal super-app · Kyiv Digital lifelines at war: Kyiv's city app added safety services; Khartoum leaned on a private bank's app when cash collapsed. 🇱🇷 LRA Digital Mobile Tax Gateway · Monrovia Both reach people no branch serves — Monrovia through a state USSD gateway, Khartoum through one private bank's app.

Explore the wider context

💸 The Price Nobody Publishes🪪 Digital government guide🏙️ Khartoum city profile👥 Society projects📖 Civic participation platform📖 Digital identity📖 Government super-app
📎 Cite this project

1001 Smart Cities (2026). “Bankak: a Banking App as Wartime Lifeline” — Khartoum, Sudan. The Smart City Atlas. https://1001smartcities.org/projects/khartoum-bankak-lifeline/ (last verified 2026-08-15). Data: CC BY 4.0.

The underlying data is free to reuse with attribution — see the open data page.

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