Hunger Ravages the Stomachs of Sudanese Children and Elderly as U.S. Aid Halts

As the war enters its third year, the suffering of Sudanese civilians trapped within the capital’s three cities—Bahri, Omdurman, and Khartoum—continues, along with residents in conflict zones and displaced people in shelters. They are facing extremely complex and dire humanitarian conditions due to the worsening food crisis, the suspension of free meal distributions, and the depletion of financial savings. The specter of death by starvation is now haunting thousands, particularly children and the elderly.

The interruption of aid, donations, and funding—combined with soaring inflation—has led to the shutdown of 70 percent of charitable kitchens and food shelters across Sudan. Others teeter on the brink for the same reasons, raising fears that more closures will intensify the suffering of thousands of families who depend on communal kitchens after armed conflict destroyed economic activities and livelihoods. Emergency response teams and communal kitchens in Sudan rely heavily on U.S. assistance linked to grants from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the suspension of this support has dramatically worsened the humanitarian situation.

Famine Risk

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced that 70 percent of the 1,400 communal kitchens in Khartoum State have ceased operations due to lack of funding.

It noted that emergency rooms provide food, basic healthcare, and other assistance in several regions of Sudan, putting hundreds of thousands at increased risk if their operations stop.

OCHA also stated that “other partners have provided emergency nutritional assistance to 89,000 individuals in the Kerreri and Umbadda localities in Omdurman, as well as other neighborhoods in Khartoum Bahri.”

Emergency food centers require $12 million per month to continue operating and providing services to Sudanese citizens.

Mounting Pressure

Zahir Khogali, who remains in Khartoum’s Al-Kalakla area, said that they have been facing extremely harsh humanitarian conditions since free meal shelters in southern neighborhoods stopped operating. They now survive on only one daily meal known as “balila,” a simple dish of boiled grains and legumes.

He explained that the recent influx of returnees to the capital worsened the food crisis, as newly arrived citizens from displacement zones cannot be registered because of a lack of funds. The shelters cannot support more people than those already registered, while the overwhelming majority now rely entirely on communal kitchens for food.

According to Khogali, the kitchen’s location in a now-secure area following the army’s recapture of the capital has made it a magnet for large numbers of residents from southern Khartoum, further increasing pressure on the facility.

Deaths Reported

Samer Al-Sharif, a volunteer in a kitchen in Kerreri, Omdurman, described the humanitarian situation as “catastrophic.” He noted that the shutdown of charitable kitchens throughout the capital due to cuts in aid and funding threatens hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in the warzone—many of them children, women, and the elderly—with severe hunger that has already caused several deaths in various regions during recent weeks.

He pointed out that kitchen staff can no longer provide daily services, raising fears of a worsening food crisis that will deepen the suffering of thousands of citizens.

The volunteer added that the number of families in need of free meals has increased significantly due to the return of many displaced people to the capital, describing the situation as extremely complex.

Fear and Hardship

Khair Saleh, who returned to the Al-Saliha district, said that he and his family arrived at their home in Omdurman under harsh conditions. They have nothing and suffer from a lack of food and clean drinking water.

With the rise in the number of returnees, volunteers can no longer provide a full meal for those in need. Many residents had relied heavily on neighborhood food initiatives in recent months, and their suspension has deteriorated living conditions to unprecedented levels.

“If this hardship continues,” he warned, “people will die of hunger.”

He added, “We live under constant pressure, and most days we eat only once—or sometimes not at all. We fear for children and the elderly as malnutrition-related diseases spread.”

Funding Crisis

Several volunteers in emergency rooms in East Nile, Khartoum Bahri, said that the halt in donations and funding was the main obstacle preventing communal kitchens from continuing operations. This has worsened living conditions and placed residents at risk of total starvation.

The local emergency room reported that all kitchens in the area have stopped operating. Stranded residents and returnees from displacement shelters are now sharing whatever little they have left. It announced the shutdown of 150 charitable kitchens due to lack of funding.

A statement from the room explained that the kitchens were a lifeline for thousands of families now facing real famine, as epidemics and malnutrition spread among civilians in East Nile. It appealed urgently to national and international organizations to intervene.

Hamed Taha, a member of the Khartoum Bahri emergency room, confirmed that Sudanese food shelters rely heavily on U.S. aid administered by USAID, and the suspension has worsened the humanitarian situation dramatically.

He added that emergency rooms require $12 million every month to keep communal kitchens functioning.

A Worsening Crisis

The war between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), ongoing since April 2023, has caused the world’s largest hunger and displacement crisis and destroyed critical infrastructure. Fighting continues amid severe living hardship and outbreaks of cholera and dengue fever, with soaring malnutrition among children and adults.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced over 13 million people, plunging a nation of 50 million into severe humanitarian distress, with famine spreading steadily, according to the United Nations.