Thousands face starvation in Sudan’s East Nile, as aid kitchens close

January 8, 2025 (KHARTOUM BAHRI) – More than 22,000 families in Sudan’s East Nile region are facing starvation after the closure of community kitchens that provided vital food aid, a local emergency response group said on Wednesday.

Since the outbreak of war in April 2023, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have controlled the East Nile region, located east of the capital, Khartoum. The district has become a key stronghold for the paramilitary group.

“The area is facing economic challenges and complex humanitarian conditions due to the closure of 161 charitable kitchens and community kitchens, depriving 22,698 families of food,” the East Nile Emergency Room said in a statement seen by Reuters.

Since the war began, many families across Sudan have become reliant on these community kitchens for survival due to the ongoing conflict and lack of income and employment opportunities.

The statement said that of the 219 kitchens operating in the region, 161 have closed, leaving only 58 still in service, providing food for 12,544 families.

An East Nile Emergency Room member told Reuters that essential goods were scarce, and prices for food, medicine and fuel were soaring. Cash shortages were also plaguing the region.

He added that the area was hosting a large number of people displaced from villages in eastern Al Jazirah state and northern Bahri, further straining resources.

The emergency response group called on U.N. agencies to deliver humanitarian aid to save lives in East Nile.

The East Nile Emergency Room provides food, medicine and healthcare to tens of thousands of people in the region. It also documents alleged human rights abuses committed by the RSF.