Sudan conflict leaves aid volunteers killed, displaced families starving as Darfur violence escalates
The ongoing Sudan war is putting charity kitchen workers in grave danger as they struggle to feed displaced families amid deepening famine and violence.
Since fighting erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), more than 100 community kitchen workers have been killed, according to aid groups and security databases. Activists warn the real number is likely far higher due to limited data collection in conflict zones.
Aid Workers Targeted in Darfur
In Sudan’s western Darfur region, where fighting has been especially intense, community-led kitchens have become a lifeline for civilians trapped by siege and hunger.
Enas Arbab fled her hometown of el-Fasher after it was overrun by the RSF. She said her father, Mohamed Arbab, was beaten, abducted, and later killed for working at a charity kitchen serving displaced people.
“We couldn’t stay,” she said. “There was no food or water. It was no longer safe.”
UN officials say several thousand civilians were killed during the RSF takeover of el-Fasher last October. Only about 40 percent of the city’s 260,000 residents managed to escape.
Grim Toll Across Sudan
According to volunteer groups such as the Emergency Response Rooms, which operates across 13 provinces with around 26,000 volunteers, charity kitchen workers have faced abductions, beatings, ransom demands, and killings since the war began. The group reports that 57 percent of documented killings occurred in Khartoum, while at least 21 percent took place in Darfur. Ransom demands for kidnapped workers typically range between $2,000 and $5,000.
UN humanitarian officials say it remains unclear whether volunteers are being targeted specifically because of their aid work or due to perceived political affiliations in the conflict.
“A clear deterioration in the security context has significantly affected local communities, including volunteers supporting community kitchens,” a UN spokesperson said.
Kitchens Under Fire
Farouk Abkar, 60, survived drone strikes and attacks while distributing grain at a kitchen in Zamzam camp near el-Fasher. He was assaulted by RSF fighters and later wounded while fleeing the city.
Now in Egypt, he shares a crowded apartment with fellow refugees and cannot afford medical care.
“There was death. There was starvation,” he said.
Other volunteers report being interrogated or accused of receiving “illicit funds.” In some towns, all kitchens were forced to close after RSF forces took control, leaving families without reliable food sources.
Displacement and Deportation
The Sudan humanitarian crisis has displaced millions, pushing many to seek refuge in neighboring countries. Yet safety remains uncertain.
Arbab, who fled to Egypt with her young son, was reportedly stopped by authorities and deported back to Sudan while traveling north.
Meanwhile, in towns like Khazan Jedid in East Darfur, three kitchens continue feeding around 5,000 people daily, despite threats and harassment.
Aid workers warn that without protection and support, more kitchens could shut down — worsening hunger for thousands of vulnerable families.
As the Sudan war drags on, charity kitchen workers remain on the front lines of survival, risking their lives to keep communities fed amid one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.
Source: Arab News