The freezing of US humanitarian assistance has forced the closure of almost 80% of emergency food kitchens set up to help people left destitute by Sudan’s civil war. Nearly two million people, struggling to survive, have been affected.
President Donald Trump’s executive order halting contributions from the US government’s development organisation (USAID) for 90 days has resulted in more than 1,100 communal kitchens shutting down. The kitchens are run by grassroots groups responding to crises in their neighbourhoods.
Aid volunteers describe scenes of desperation, with people knocking on doors, screaming from hunger in the streets. “People are knocking on the volunteers’ doors, saying ‘Please help us’,” said one volunteer.
The US aid freeze has left refugees in neighbouring countries facing extreme hardship. The World Food Programme (WFP) says it has received waivers for its 13 existing Sudanese grants with USAID, but future funding is uncertain.
UN officials warn that the impact of Washington’s policy shift will be felt beyond Sudan’s borders. “We have to rationalise, rationalise, rationalise,” said Mamadou Dian Balde, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees’ regional bureau director.
Faced with impossible choices, refugees are resorting to seek refuge in third countries or embarking on dangerous journeys. The UNHCR says it is still assessing the impact of the US aid freeze and working to find solutions.
The World Food Programme witnessed people who have fled conflict but not hunger, struggling to find food and water. “But you see them wearing out and thinning in front of you – malnourished children,” said Rania Dagesh, the WFP’s assistant executive director for partnerships and innovation.
As fighting rages on with no end in sight, refugees long to return home but face uncertainty about the future. The closure of emergency food kitchens will only exacerbate the numbers fleeing across borders, further straining available resources.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy7x87ev5jyo