How youth-led volunteers tackle famine in North Darfur

August 19, 2024 (El FASHER) – A group of youth volunteers have launched the fight against famine in Sudan’s North Darfur state, by providing lifesaving assistance like food, water and medicine to help the wounded and shelter homeless people.

With limited resources, these young Sudanese volunteers have launched initiatives to assist millions of people displaced by ongoing war in war-torn Sudan.

“The emergency rooms are born from the womb of suffering and became a link between organizations and the needy on the ground,” Mubarak Mohamed Idris, a member of the youth-led initiative at the Zamzam camp of the United Nations.

Famine was declared in Zamzam camp, with an estimated half a million people.

Aid agencies have warned that famine is likely spread to Abu Shouk and Al-Salam camps, barely a month after an assessment confirmed hunger in Zamzam camp.

Aid organizations, according to Idris, have no access to these camps due to fighting and road blockages to deliver much-needed assistance, so the youth-led emergency room came forward to provide food for the hungry population.

Seen as backing support from the UN and other aid agencies, emergency rooms initiated by these youth volunteers have been a lifeline for thousands of displaced people as aid organizations scramble for safe, unfettered access to reach them.

Also, some families reportedly go for day minus food, while a community kitchen put in place ensures that volunteers prepare and provide food inside the camp.

“This helps us alleviate the suffering of the displaced inside the camp due to the lack of food and the inability of families to feed themselves,” explained Idris.

Apart from material things, emergency rooms also provide shelter and clothing to the injured from conflict areas and helping those hit by such disasters as flooding.

The presence of fighters from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) around the camp limits has reportedly caused shortage of water due to absence of fuel.

“Now, only two of the eight water wells in the camp are operating,” Idris said.

He added, “We struggle to bring water to the camp in light of the clashes and artillery shelling and lack of funding. We bring two water carts with 200 barrels of water and distribute them to people in 46 centres, but that’s not enough.”

Mohamed Adam Abdel Latif, a representative of the media committee of the emergency room serving the community said Abu Shouk camp faces a similar situation.

“All signs of famine are very clear” said Latif, adding that there have been “a lot of deaths” due to hunger among camp residents, especially among children.

Meanwhile, recent floods destroyed more than 700 homes in the camp, and young volunteers reportedly face the same challenges, offer the same services and even expand their work to include rehabilitating affected shelters, providing everything from sanitary pads for women and girls.

Multiple challenges reportedly persist, from shortages of food and other lifesaving supplies. Also, most health centres were shuttered following artillery shelling, and the only one that provides primary suffers from a severe shortage of medicines and medical supplies, especially for children under age five.

“We don’t have access to therapeutic nutrition,” Latif stressed.

He added, “We have two therapeutic feeding centres, and they were bombed by the RSF.”

The situation has reportedly been worsened by rising food prices, forcing many people to eat animal feed,  as others become desperate, resorting to begging or prostitution so they can feed their children.

“We provide food to shelters that are now completely dependent on us,” Latif explained, expressing gratitude for support received from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including the Norwegian Refugee Council – a UN partner – which sent $5,000 to stock the community kitchen.

He, however, said lack of steady support recently forced the camp kitchen to shut down for 20 days.

Concerns were raised as roads leading to the camp are currently closed while there are no basic medical supplies such as bandages and sterilisers available to help large number of injured people.

“We have appealed many times, and we continue to appeal to international and UN organizations to provide services to us in any way,” said Latif, adding “We appeal to the UN authorities to coordinate with the bodies inside the camp in order to deliver support to displaced children and their families.”

(ST)