The freezing of US humanitarian aid to Sudan has led to the closure of nearly 80% of emergency food kitchens, exacerbating the country’s already dire hunger crisis. With over two million people dependent on these communal kitchens for survival, aid volunteers warn that the situation is spiraling toward catastrophe.
The decision, stemming from President Donald Trump’s executive order suspending contributions from USAID for 90 days, has left grassroots networks struggling to sustain food distribution efforts. Emergency response rooms, which had been instrumental in feeding those displaced by the ongoing civil war, have been forced to shut down due to a lack of funding. More than 1,100 communal kitchens have already ceased operations, leaving vulnerable populations, including women, children, and the elderly, without reliable sources of food.
The conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has been ongoing since April 2023, causing tens of thousands of deaths and displacing millions. Famine conditions have been reported in at least five locations, with volunteers now resorting to credit-based food purchases from local fishermen and farmers. However, aid workers warn that even this stopgap measure is unsustainable.
“People are screaming from hunger in the streets,” said Duaa Tariq, an organizer with one of the emergency response groups in Khartoum. She emphasized that the aid freeze has left kitchens without the necessary supplies to continue operations, just as military advances by government forces and RSF withdrawals have further disrupted markets.
Although the US State Department has issued waivers for emergency food assistance, there is confusion regarding whether the exemptions cover only in-kind assistance or if cash aid crucial for funding communal kitchens will be reinstated. USAID had previously provided 70-80% of total funding for these programs, making its suspension a devastating blow to relief efforts.
The closure of food kitchens has also placed immense strain on neighboring countries receiving Sudanese refugees. In South Sudan alone, over one million new arrivals have overwhelmed already underfunded aid programs. “We have to rationalize everything,” said Mamadou Dian Balde, a regional director with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), highlighting the impossible choices humanitarian agencies now face.
As famine looms, former USAID officials like Andrea Tracy, who has established a private relief fund, acknowledge that non-governmental donations may help bridge some gaps. However, even if US aid resumes, it is unlikely to reach previous levels, leaving millions at risk of starvation. The humanitarian crisis in Sudan continues to escalate, with no ceasefire in sight.
