Aid freezes and withdrawals leave Sudan’s needy battling famine alone

Sudan is facing an increasingly severe humanitarian crisis, with several aid organizations providing vital assistance forced to withdraw. The United States has suspended humanitarian aid to Sudan, leading to the closure of up to 80% of the country's emergency food kitchens. Concurrently, the medical NGO Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has significantly reduced its aid operations in Sudan, leaving the country's most violence-affected areas without emergency medical care.

The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has been ongoing since April 2023. The war has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, even more injuries, and approximately 12 million people displaced. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) reports that famine conditions exist in more than 10 areas, with another 17 areas on the brink of famine.

Despite the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation, the fighting does not seem to be ceasing. Sudanese troops are currently advancing in the capital, Khartoum, while the Rapid Support Forces have announced the formation of a counter-government. U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order freezing payments from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for 90 days has undoubtedly exacerbated the already extremely unstable situation in Sudan, as the agency's aid is a lifeline for millions.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported that 1,100 public kitchens have been forced to close due to the U.S. suspension of foreign aid. A volunteer who closed a kitchen stated that people have begun "knocking on volunteers' doors," desperately in need of help. The U.S. State Department responded that it has issued waivers for "life-saving" food and humanitarian assistance programs. However, these waivers do not seem to have translated into a resumption of aid to Sudan and other countries. Reuters reported that USAID projects have only approved $100 million in waivers, while the agency previously spent approximately $40 billion annually on projects.

In fact, Reuters reported that, according to a review of the waiver list, the majority of the $5.3 billion in foreign aid released under the waiver order is earmarked for arms sales, military assistance, and anti-drug trafficking efforts. The World Food Programme stated that it has received waivers for 13 grants related to Sudan, but the fate of future funding remains unclear. The World Food Programme warns that Sudan may face "the largest hunger crisis in modern history," with the brutal civil war destroying the country's livelihoods, infrastructure, trade routes, and supply chains. Famine was initially confirmed in August at the Zamzam camp in North Darfur and has since spread, with the UN currently estimating that 24.6 million people face acute hunger.

The situation in North Darfur is particularly dire, with El Fasher, the region's largest city, having been besieged by the Rapid Support Forces for months. The Rapid Support Forces have intensified their offensive in recent weeks, including attacks on the Zamzam camp itself, where approximately 500,000 people have sought refuge after being displaced by the fighting. The fighting forced Doctors Without Borders to withdraw from Zamzam. "Stopping our programs in the face of a worsening catastrophe in Zamzam is a heartbreaking decision," said Doctors Without Borders' Sudan Country Director, Yahya Kalila. "The immediate threat of violence, the immense difficulty of moving supplies, the inability to send experienced staff to provide adequate support, and the uncertainty of routes for our colleagues and civilians to leave the camp have left us with no choice."

Despite the severe humanitarian crisis, much of which has been caused by the Rapid Support Forces, the organization held a ceremony in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, announcing its intention to establish a counter-government to the Sudanese government. The new government is not expected to gain widespread international recognition. However, this appears to be an effort to maintain control over the western Darfur region as the Rapid Support Forces lose ground elsewhere. The government, aligned with the army, has refused to recognize its newly formed opponent, with Foreign Minister Ali Al-Sadiq stating on Sunday that it "will not accept any other country recognizing the so-called parallel government."

Responding to the news and its potential to exacerbate domestic divisions, a spokesman for United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the need for a unified Sudan and told reporters that the new government would "exacerbate the divisions in the country and potentially make the crisis even worse."