Nearly 80% of the emergency food kitchens set up to aid those left in poverty by Sudan’s protracted civil war have closed as a result of the US humanitarian assistance freeze. Aid workers have claimed that the 90-day stop in US Agency for International Development (USAID) donations has caused more than 1,100 communal kitchens to close, impacting over two million people in the Sudan Crisis, where millions are fighting for their lives.
What Effects Does the US Aid Freeze Have?
Tens of thousands have been slain, millions have been displaced, and more have been driven to starvation by the fight between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which started in April 2023. Community kitchens, operated by grassroots organizations called emergency response rooms, have been significantly impacted by the Sudan Crisis. These kitchens have been crucial in providing food to individuals in extreme need.
One of the emergency room coordinators, Duaa Tariq, said, “People are knocking on the volunteers’ doors.” “People are screaming from hunger in the streets.”
Last month’s abrupt halt of US aid was a component of a larger initiative to assess whether aid serves US interests. USAID started deconstructing its operational framework during this process. There is still a great deal of uncertainty regarding the practical implications of the exclusions that the US State Department has granted for emergency food assistance.
Will Cash Assistance from USAID Be Restored?
It is unclear if cash aid, which the communal kitchens depend on, will be restored as normal processes for processing waivers through USAID have stopped operating. According to some estimates, between 70 and 80 percent of the total funds allocated to these flexible payment schemes came from USAID.
For organizations fighting one of the worst food crises in the world, the closing of most of Sudan’s emergency kitchens is a significant blow. There have been at least five proven cases of starvation, according to reports. As aid stays frozen, the Sudanese crisis gets worse.
What Part Did USAID Play in Aiding the Emergency Kitchens in Sudan?
At first, donations from the Sudanese diaspora and local communities supported these food programs. However, because it was difficult to go to conflict areas, international organizations like USAID started sending money to them.
According to an organizer who supports aid initiatives in Sudan, “it was groundbreaking.” “Except the White Helmets in Syria, USAID had never taken this kind of action before.”
According to former USAID officials, the agency has been focusing increasingly on engaging directly with grassroots organizations at the local level because it recognizes their capacity to provide help more effectively than traditional international organizations.
How Do Communities Manage Without Assistance?
Due to the sudden reduction in funds, Duaa Tariq is unable to purchase food supplies for more than 25 kitchens spread over six areas in Khartoum, the capital. The situation has been made worse by widespread market theft as the army moves into RSF-held regions.
The majority of emergency kitchens have closed. It is not sustainable for some groups to try to buy food on credit from nearby farmers and fishers. “Very soon, we expect to see a lot of people starving,” predicts Tariq.
Efforts are being made by private organizations to fill the gap left by USAID. One initiative, the Mutual Aid Sudan Coalition, aims to raise funds to keep the kitchens running. “I think we can shore up the emergency kitchens,” says an aid worker, “but the reality is that private donations will have to do even more now. Even if humanitarian assistance resumes, it will never be what it was.”
What Wider Effects Will the Aid Cut Have?
Washington’s change in policy has an effect beyond Sudan. The instability in the region has been exacerbated by the more than two million residents who have fled to nearby nations.
The appalling conditions were detailed by a UN expert who recently visited South Sudanese refugee camps. “I saw people fleeing violence without going hungry. They are starving now.
Already few resources are being strained by the refugee crisis. According to the chief of a UN regional bureau, “We have to rationalize, rationalize, rationalize.” The number of refugees has increased in Egypt and Chad, further taxing assistance agencies.
How Severe Is the Refugee Hunger Crisis?
The elderly, women, and children are the groups most affected by the crisis. Families have been forced to evacuate with nothing because so many physically fit males have been murdered or gone missing in the conflict.
Another million refugees have arrived in South Sudan, where emergency famine was already plaguing 60% of the population. Nowadays, the elderly and children are given priority, and most households just eat one meal a day. An assistance worker explains, “But you see them thinning and wearing out in front of you.” undernourished kids. mothers who are attempting to breastfeed but are unsuccessful.
To gather firewood, refugees in dire need of money put their safety at risk, frequently becoming the targets of abuse, rape, and harassment. Many used to be farmers, but the conflict ruined their means of subsistence. “They want peace so they can return home, but the fighting has continued for nearly two years with no end in sight.”
Can Aid Organizations Handle the Demand?
International humanitarian agencies are having difficulty keeping up. Services at the UNHCR have been reduced to “absolute minimum levels.” Food and water supplies for refugees had to be cut last year because the agency had only received 30% of the expected donor cash.
Historically, the United States has been Sudan’s biggest donor, giving both directly and through the United Nations’ Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan. Relief operations are in limbo since US aid has been halted.
According to a UNHCR spokesperson, “We are still assessing the extent of the impact,” However, the options aren’t feasible. Some migrants are already making exceedingly risky travels in search of third-country resettlement in the Gulf, Europe, and beyond.
What Does Sudan's Refugee Crisis Hold?
The hunger situation in Sudan is predicted to intensify and push more people across borders as there is no end in sight to the ceasefire. Aid organizations that might normally react, however, are already overburdened.
Emergency kitchens in Sudan have been essential in reducing famine conditions as a result of the Sudan Crisis. As they close, more people will probably escape to nearby nations, placing additional pressure on the world’s humanitarian supplies.
“These volunteers were challenging us to work differently, and we were responding,” says a humanitarian. They are currently underfunded, traumatized, and worn out. To assist them, we were expanding. However, everything is uncertain right now.
