BBC: Sudan war: Life-saving community kitchens on verge of collapse

Sudan’s Life-Saving Community Kitchens on Verge of Collapse

Barbara Plett Usher
BBC News
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Summary
A network of community kitchens that has kept millions of Sudanese alive during the civil war is close to collapse, according to Islamic Relief. The locally run kitchens, staffed by volunteers, operate in conflict areas beyond the reach of international aid agencies but now face closure because of exhaustion, shortages, and dwindling funds after U.S. aid cuts earlier this year. Many depend on donations from the Sudanese diaspora, but volunteers report uncertainty about whether they can cook each day. In besieged cities like el-Fasher and Kadugli, famine conditions have been confirmed, with some kitchens reduced to serving animal fodder before the RSF took control. The report warns that the volunteer networks, hailed as a model for locally led humanitarian action, are now running out of money, fuel, and safe access, leaving millions without food.

Quotes
“It was like someone cut a rope we were holding on to,” said one volunteer. “Before March, we had a small, regular stream that let us plan. We knew we could serve at least one meal a day. Now… we go to sleep not knowing if we can cook the next day.”
“This is the hardest part of my day,” said a volunteer from Omdurman. “We had to tell a mother that we had nothing left for her two children. She didn’t even cry, she just looked deflated. The shame of having food in my stomach when that child did not, it is a heavy feeling for me.”
“My biggest fear is that in six months, the community will be completely exhausted,” said another volunteer. “We are all getting poorer and angrier.”