First Year of War: Sudan Welcomes Ramadan with an Empty Food Basket

Anadolu - moatinoon
Over the years, Sudanese people have been accustomed to a special atmosphere preceding the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan, where the scent of the popular local beverage "Hilu Mur" permeates residential neighborhoods in cities and villages.

Women used to gather in homes before the onset of Ramadan to prepare "Hilu Mur," milling wheat and corn to make "Aseedah," one of the essential dishes on the Ramadan table, and "Taqliyah," made from minced meat.

However, those atmospheres will fade away during this years fasting month due to the war that has deprived Sudanese people of the joy of Ramadan. The smell of gunpowder and fire has overshadowed the scent of "Hilu Mur," and displacement is the overarching theme instead of gatherings around Ramadan tables.

Since April 15, 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in a war between the army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the Sovereignty Council, and the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo "Hemetti," resulting in around 13,900 deaths and more than 8 million displaced and refugees, according to the United Nations.

**Shortage of Goods

Preparations for Ramadan this year have differed as the war continues in several regions of the country. Even areas that did not witness direct combat have been affected by large waves of displacement and shortages of food and medical supplies.

The absence of goods, food items, their high prices, and the difficulty of obtaining them are the prominent features of Ramadan and the current conversation among Sudanese people who look forward to ending the war in their country.

This Ramadan comes at a time when there are more than 6 million displaced people in shelters in schools and universities in different areas of Sudan. They rely on humanitarian aid that often does not reach them due to the ongoing fighting.

The situation in Khartoum and the states of Darfur, Kordofan, Jazeera, and the outskirts of the White Nile and Sennar states is more challenging, where basic services and food are scarce, especially with the recent intensification of battles.

The exacerbation of the situation was further compounded by the banks failure to transfer money due to weeks of communication blackout in Khartoum and Jazeera. There is also weak communication in other states because most of the residents in these areas rely on financial aid from family and friends.

Additionally, residents in Khartoum depend on communal kitchens run by volunteers who distribute food to residents in each neighborhood.

These communal kitchens are also suffering from a lack of support due to the communication shutdown and the suspension of bank transfer services through phone applications, as they rely on contributions from charities and several humanitarian organizations, making Ramadan a challenging month for them.

To overcome this dilemma, initiatives have emerged among Sudanese abroad to raise funds to prepare Ramadan baskets to assist those inside the country.

According to UN statistics, about 25 million Sudanese are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

The country is on the brink of a famine catastrophe due to the continuation of the war, according to the World Food Programme, with 90% of the population facing emergency levels of hunger, trapped in areas where humanitarian agencies cannot reach them.

**Different Ramadan

Sara Al-Mubarak, a displaced person from Khartoum to Atbara in northern Sudan, told Anadolu, "Ramadan this year is different with the cursed war and its repercussions, and displacement."

She confirmed that "the suffering is severe, and as displaced people, we cannot provide Ramadan necessities such as utensils and essential Ramadan goods."

The teacher added, "Prices are high in the states, and there have been no salaries for months, and all prices of basic goods have increased unreasonably."

She pointed out that "the humanitarian conditions for Sudanese are bad, and the situation is catastrophic," expressing hope that the war will stop, security and stability will return to the country, and the economic situation will improve.

In the past year, at this time, all Ramadan needs were available to Sudanese people, according to her.

**Absence of Iftar Gatherings

Citizen Naji Othman from the city of Al-Ubayyid in North Kordofan told Anadolu, "Ramadan comes upon us, and we are in the hardest times, and we miss everything. The absence of security and the difficulty of movement with the continuation of the war have disrupted our activities."

He added that "the arrangements for this years Ramadan are very weak due to the high prices and the scarcity of some goods. We miss all the details of previous Ramadans, where we used to gather for group iftar."

Naji fears that the continuation of the fighting during Ramadan will lead to the absence of what he used to do during Ramadan, which is breaking the fast in the streets in groups.

Sudanese people traditionally, upon the arrival of Ramadan, gather their available food and drinks and take them to the streets and roads to share the Ramadan iftar with others.

Regional and international calls to stop hostilities during Ramadan in Sudan have increased. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki, and the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Hussein Ibrahim Taha have all called for it.

On Friday, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Sudan during the month of Ramadan.

The resolution was adopted by a majority of 14 votes, with Russia abstaining. The resolution calls on the parties to the conflict to immediately cease hostilities and allow full, rapid, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access, including across borders and front lines.

The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed Guterres call to stop "hostilities" in the country during the month of Ramadan, and it conditioned the Rapid Support Forces to fulfill their commitments under the Jeddah Agreement and withdraw from the states of Jazeera and Sennar.

On Thursday, the UN Secretary-General called on the conflict parties in Sudan to "stop the fighting during the month of Ramadan and raise the voice of peace."

During a meeting of the UN Security Council, Guterres said, "I call on all parties in Sudan to respect the values of Ramadan by stopping hostilities."

For its part, the Rapid Support Forces welcomed the UN Security Councils call and said in a statement that it is ready to engage in dialogue with the army regarding agreed-upon monitoring mechanisms to ensure the achievement of humanitarian goals.

Talks sponsored by Saudi and American mediation between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces in May 2023 resulted in the first agreement in Jeddah between the two sides to protect civilians. Multiple ceasefires were announced during which violations occurred, leading Riyadh and Washington to suspend negotiations.