Despite danger in Sudan, volunteers keep soup kitchens running

In Sudan’s war-torn streets, a simple journey to a market just 100 meters away can take Sameh Makki two perilous hours. Bullets hail down as Makki, his family, and local volunteers risk their lives to deliver food supplies to families trapped in the crossfire between the army and fighting groups.

“The only thing that matters is that people eat,” says Makki, a 43-year-old who has entrusted his soup kitchen to his mother and young volunteers while he seeks medical care for his daughter in Egypt. “If I had died getting them food, so be it.”

The war, which began last April between the military and a rival force, has caused immense suffering. Tens of thousands are dead, and millions are displaced. Makki’s soup kitchen is a lifeline for some 150 families, a testament to the crucial role such community initiatives play in a country teetering on famine.

Grassroots Efforts Fill the Gap

Following the outbreak of war, young people like Abdel Ghaffar Omar began coordinating food efforts. Their model quickly spread, with hundreds of self-funded “community kitchens” springing up across Sudan. These kitchens leverage existing neighborhood youth groups who previously organized protests and coordinated the Covid-19 response.

When the war erupted, these groups formed Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) to deliver healthcare, evacuation assistance, and food aid to civilians caught in the fighting. Most ERRs run their own kitchens, while others focus on coordination and funding. International aid groups consider them the backbone of Sudan’s humanitarian response, with the UN estimating they’ve reached over four million civilians.

These kitchens provide daily meals, typically consisting of rice, beans, lentils, and occasional meat, to dozens or even hundreds of families each day. In the capital alone, tens of thousands rely on ERRs for survival.

Smuggling Food in a Besieged City

Makki’s soup kitchen broadcasts mealtimes from the local mosque, a strategy not feasible in Khartoum North, also known as Bahri. The city, under siege for nearly a year, faces a far more precarious situation.

“The military sees Bahri as a rebel stronghold and treats any incoming supplies with suspicion,” says an activist who requested anonymity. “We basically have to smuggle food in.”

ERR volunteers deliver rations door-to-door, navigating streets patrolled by fighters known for looting aid. “Large quantities of food attract attention,” explains Mahmoud Mokhtar, a Bahri-based ERR volunteer. “Getting caught by either side can be deadly.”

Mokhtar’s voice cracks with emotion as he recounts the dangers faced by volunteers. People have been killed, raped, detained, and even disappeared while providing aid. ERR kitchens themselves have been repeatedly shelled by both sides.

Despite the immense challenges, these volunteers press on, a testament to the unwavering spirit of the Sudanese people in the face of war.

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