Community kitchens providing vital food aid to starving Sudanese civilians face imminent collapse as violence escalates and international funding dries up, threatening millions with severe hunger.
At a Glance
- Two years of war in Sudan has created a severe humanitarian crisis affecting over 30 million people
- Community kitchens run by local emergency response rooms are shutting down due to U.S. aid cuts and funding shortfalls
- Nine Sudanese aid workers were recently killed in a deliberate attack on a medical center
- Over half of Sudan’s population lacks sufficient food with two-thirds now dependent on humanitarian assistance
- International response remains inadequate with only 10% of the $4.1 billion needed for aid secured
Life-Saving Community Kitchens Closing as Violence Intensifies
Amira Abdallah, a resident of the Abu Shouk displacement camp in Darfur, faces a dire situation as community soup kitchens that once provided her only reliable meals have shut down. These grassroots mutual aid groups, known locally as Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs), have been essential lifelines in areas where international organizations cannot safely operate.
As Sudan’s civil war between military factions intensifies, these community kitchens have become both more critical and more vulnerable. The crisis has reached catastrophic levels with over half the country’s population now lacking sufficient food and two-thirds dependent on humanitarian assistance.
Relentless attacks, including artillery shelling and ground incursions by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have devastated civilian areas, destroying critical infrastructure. On April 11, 2025, over 100 people, including more than 20 children, were killed in attacks on displacement camps.
These assaults have specifically targeted humanitarian facilities, with nine Sudanese aid workers from Relief International killed in a deliberate attack on a medical center. These conditions have made it nearly impossible for volunteers to maintain operations and for supplies to reach the kitchens.
— Sentinel (@SentinelTeamHQ) August 12, 2024
U.S. Aid Cuts Deepen Sudan’s Humanitarian Crisis
A recent freeze on U.S. foreign assistance has delivered a devastating blow to Sudan’s emergency response system. The subsequent cuts to USAID funding resulted in Sudan losing at least $248 million in critical support, directly causing the closure of many community kitchens. These cuts couldn’t have come at a worse time, as famine conditions have been confirmed in multiple areas with warnings from the World Health Organization that additional regions are at imminent risk. Local volunteers report severe food shortages, with children often going without meals for days and mothers desperately scavenging for anything edible.
“What is happening in ZamZam, Abu Shouk camp and Al Fasher is not just a tragedy—it is an atrocity,” reported the Sudan INGO Forum.
Omran Suleiman, a local aid coordinator, expressed frustration at the international community’s response: “The current situation in Sudan is a disaster where civilians are paying the price of a war that they’re victims of.” With only 10% of the $4.1 billion needed for humanitarian aid secured, the international response remains woefully inadequate. The upcoming ministerial conference in the UK is viewed as possibly the last opportunity for world leaders to take meaningful action before conditions deteriorate beyond recovery.
Grim Outlook as Rainy Season Approaches
The imminent rainy season threatens to further limit access to affected communities, potentially cutting off areas already experiencing famine conditions. Over 3.7 million refugees have fled to neighboring countries, facing dire conditions in overcrowded camps that lack basic services.
Both military factions have been accused of committing war crimes, including ethnic cleansing and genocide, with civilians deliberately targeted. Aid workers on the ground report that hunger is being used as a weapon of war, with food supplies intentionally blocked from reaching those most in need.
Despite the grim situation, the resilience of the Sudanese people continues to be evident through their efforts to help one another. Even as international support wanes, local volunteers maintain what services they can. However, as Salah Adam, a kitchen coordinator noted, “You cannot imagine what it’s like right now.” Without immediate intervention to protect humanitarian operations and restore funding for community kitchens, millions of Sudan’s most vulnerable face starvation in what has become one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.
