These young Sudanese volunteers work in youth-led initiatives that emerged amid the ongoing war that has forced millions of people to flee since fighting broke out between rival militaries in April 2023. With limited resources and strong willpower, they provide life-saving assistance ranging from food, water and medicine to caring for the injured and sheltering the homeless.
“The emergency rooms emerged from the womb of suffering and have become a link between the organizations and those in need on the ground,” says Mubarak Mohamed Idris, a member of the youth-led initiative in Zamzam camp.
Now battling famine, their emergency rooms have become a lifeline for thousands of displaced and besieged people, while the UN delivers aid on the ground and international aid agencies struggle to ensure safe and unhindered access to those in need.
Community kitchens are a lifeline for hungry people in the Abu-Shouk refugee camp in Darfur.
Hope in a landscape of suffering
A picture of suffering is emerging in this part of Sudan after global food security experts reported famine in Zamzam camp and aid agencies are now warning of similar conditions in the nearby Abu Shouk and Al-Salam camps.
Children spend the entire day without any food
Because of the fighting and road blockades, aid agencies cannot access these camps to provide much-needed assistance, so the youth-led emergency shelter has volunteered to provide food to the hungry, Mr Idris said.
According to aid organizations, the Zamzam camp is home to around 500,000 displaced people from the five states of Darfur, as well as people who fled the conflict in Khartoum. As a result, the number of camp residents has increased dramatically.
The camp has become a kind of “miniature Darfur,” says Idris. “The children spend the whole day without any food,” says Idris.
Volunteers at the Zamzam camp emergency center prepare a meal for displaced families.
Community kitchens fight famine
Some families have not had to light a fire for many days because they have no food to cook with, he said, stressing: “The camp is under siege and the families have nothing.”
Therefore, they set up a communal kitchen where volunteers prepare food around the clock and distribute it to over 46 shelters in the camp.
“This will help us alleviate the suffering of the displaced people in the camp caused by the lack of food and the inability of families to feed themselves,” he said.
Spirit of solidarity and cooperation
The role of the emergency departments goes far beyond material assistance. Young volunteers promote solidarity among the displaced, provide shelter and clothing, evacuate the injured from conflict areas and help victims of disasters such as floods.
Access to clean water is another huge challenge, as all wells in Zamzam camp have been out of service due to a lack of fuel as the area is surrounded by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who continue to fight the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
“Currently, only two of the eight water wells in the camp are functioning,” said Mr Idris. “Given the clashes, artillery shelling and lack of funds, we are struggling to bring water to the camp. We bring two water carts with 200 barrels of water and distribute it to people in 46 centers, but that is not enough.”
They also provide tarpaulins and shelter materials, as well as insecticide sprayers and mosquito nets in the autumn, and clothing for children in the winter.
Community kitchens at the youth-run emergency center in Abu Shouk camp.
A model of resilience in times of hunger
About 22 kilometers away, the same grim situation prevails in Abu Shouk camp, said Mohamed Adam Abdel Latif, a representative of the media committee of the municipality’s emergency center.
All signs of famine are very clear
“All signs of famine are very clear in the camp,” Latif said, pointing out that there had been “many deaths” due to hunger among camp residents, especially children.
Recent floods destroyed over 700 homes in the camp. Young volunteers face the same challenges, offer the same services and even extend their work to rehabilitating the affected shelters. They provide everything from sanitary pads for women and girls to environmental sanitation work.
Forced to eat animal feed
Numerous problems persist, including shortages of food and other essential goods. Most health centers have been closed following artillery shelling, and the only one providing basic care suffers from severe shortages of medicines and medical supplies, especially for children under five.
“We have no access to therapeutic nutrition,” he stressed. “We have two therapeutic nutrition centers and they were bombed by the RSF.”
At the same time, rising food prices have forced many people to eat animal feed, if it is available, while others, in desperation, have resorted to begging or prostitution to feed their children.
“We are supplying food to emergency shelters that are now completely dependent on us,” said Latif, expressing gratitude for support from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including the Norwegian Refugee Council – a UN partner – which sent $5,000 to stock the community kitchen.
However, due to a lack of support, the camp kitchen recently had to be closed for 20 days.
Families come together to share a meal prepared and provided by emergency teams at Zamzam camp in North Darfur.
Conditions could worsen
Currently, all roads leading to the camp are closed and there are no basic medical supplies such as bandages and sterilizers available to help the numerous injured, Latif said.
“We have appealed many times and continue to appeal to international organizations and UN agencies to provide us with assistance in any way possible,” he said.
“We call on the UN authorities to coordinate their work with the organizations in the camp to provide assistance to the displaced children and their families.”
