• New report shows the vital role of local Sudanese community kitchens in tackling famine as the world looks away 
• New survey finds 83% of families now don’t have enough food 
• Research and extensive interviews across Sudan find international neglect, supply shortages and volunteer exhaustion now threaten survival of community kitchens 

Community kitchens which offer lifesaving free food for families across famine-ravaged Sudan are at risk of collapse after more than two years of brutal war, Islamic Relief warns in a new report published today (5 November). The report calls for urgent international support to keep these kitchens going. 

The warning comes as a new survey conducted by Islamic Relief in the east and west of Sudan finds 83% of families now don’t have enough food. 

The report shows how the community kitchens – known as takaaya – have been at the forefront of efforts to prevent the spread of famine across the country. Inspired by Islamic faith and community spirit, local volunteers have worked tirelessly to save lives whilst most international governments have neglected the crisis. In places like El Fasher in Darfur, where an 18-month siege has cut off all international aid, the takaaya have been the sole source of food for many families. 

Nadeem Malik, Interim Chief Executive of Islamic Relief Worldwide, says: “The war in Sudan has created one of the world’s biggest hunger crises. While the international community has looked away and slashed aid, these volunteer-run community kitchens have provided a lifeline for millions of people. But they are now at risk of collapse. The impact of losing this vital safety net would be catastrophic.” 

The report – “Takaaya: How community kitchens offer a lifeline to Sudan’s hunger crisis” – is based on household surveys and extensive interviews with takaaya volunteers across the country. Many warned their kitchens are at imminent risk of closure due to lack of funds, volunteer exhaustion, and insecurity.  

Key findings from the report: 

Out of 585 households surveyed across four localities:  

• 83% reported not having sufficient food, whilst only 17% have enough to meet household needs 
• 27% reported having no food stocks remaining, whilst an additional 25% said their food would last less than one week – meaning 52% of households indicated their food supplies would not last beyond one week 
• Over 41% were classified as having a poor food consumption score, with 32% in the borderline category, and only 27% achieving an acceptable score 

Interview with takayya volunteers revealed:  

• Some takaaya have already had to close – one volunteer in Khartoum said eight of the 11 kitchens in his areas have shut down this year.  
• Even many of the kitchens that remain open have had to reduce meals by 50% or more – from two or three meals a day to once a day. 
• Volunteers predict most takaaya will close within six months if funding and support do not increase 

The takaaya draw on centuries-old Sudanese traditions of mutual aid known as nafeer, as well as Islamic principles of charity (sadaqah and zakat). Often based in mosques, homes, or community centres, they operate with transparency and democratic decision-making, providing not just food but also preserving dignity and social cohesion.  

The cost of a meal provided by takaaya in Khartoum ranges from GB£1.50-£3.38 (US$2 – $4.40), making them highly cost-effective compared to traditional humanitarian aid. They can also operate in areas too dangerous or inaccessible for international agencies. 

However, the report warns that without urgent support, these vital networks face collapse due to: 

• Financial fragility – most operate day-to-day and rely mostly on cash and food donations from Sudanese diaspora and local community 
• Hyperinflation and market disruptions affecting food and fuel supply 
• Volunteer exhaustion and security risks after more than two years of crisis, with interviewees saying they feel abandoned by the world 
• Limited coordination with, and support from, formal humanitarian actors 
• Lack of predictable or sustained funding – made worse by global aid cuts this year 

The report makes a series of urgent recommendations to scale up and improve international support to the takaaya, including: 

• Providing flexible, direct and accessible funding 
• Fostering genuine partnerships that empower rather than co-opt local leadership 
• Recognising community-led responses within humanitarian frameworks 
• Adapting humanitarian aid approaches to better support local responses 

Since the war erupted in April 2023, Islamic Relief has supported more than 1.2 million people with aid – such as food, medical supplies, cash assistance, agricultural support and mental health support – and works in partnership with takaaya across the country, including in hard-to-reach areas such as Darfur and North Kordofan. 

ENDS 

Notes to editors: 

1. The full report, “Takaaya: How Community Kitchens Offer a Lifeline to Sudan’s Hunger Crisis,” is available at https://islamic-relief.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Takaaya.pdf  
2. The household survey was conducted across four localities: Al Fao and Al Fashaga in Gedaref state in eastern Sudan, and Golo and Nertiti in Central Darfur state in western Sudan. 585 households were surveyed in September 2025. 
3. Interviews with takaaya volunteers were carried out all over the country, including in Khartoum, Omdurman, Kordofan, Darfur and Port Sudan.  

Quotes from interviews with takaaya volunteers:  

Samir, who manages a Takaaya in Khartoum, told us that eight of the 11 kitchens operating in his area have shut down: “The three that remain, including ours, are hanging by a thread. Last week we averaged about 350-400 meals per day, but six months ago we were serving nearly 600 meals daily. The decrease isn’t because fewer people need food; it’s because we don’t have enough resources to serve everyone who comes. We’re rationing what we have just to keep operating. I don’t know if we will last six more months.” 

Anwar told us that there isn’t enough food for everyone who needs it: “We had to tell a mother at the end of the day that we had nothing left for her two children and that she should come back tomorrow early. She didn’t even cry, she just looked deflated. I went home and I couldn’t speak to my own family that night. The shame of having food in my stomach when that child did not, it is a heavy feeling for me.”  

Nasreen, a teacher, told Islamic Relief that she started volunteering after seeing her pupils go hungry: “It became personal when I saw my own students coming to school too weak to hold a pencil. One of my brightest students was always eager to learn, then she started falling asleep. I asked her what was wrong and she told me that she hasn’t eaten properly in days. I love that the Takaaya is teaching them that even in the darkest times, we take care of each other. That lesson will stay with them long after this crisis ends.” 

Interviewees said that global aid cuts in 2025, especially the collapse of USAID, has had a huge impact. One said: “(The USAID cut) was like someone cut a rope we were holding onto. In the last month there were 10 days where we went to sleep not knowing if we could cook the next day.” 

After two years of war and extreme suffering many volunteers say they feel increasingly exhausted and abandoned by the world. One said: “Emotionally it’s draining. Some evenings I go home and I can’t eat. My wife will prepare dinner and I’ll just stare at it, thinking about the families who didn’t get a meal that day. My children notice—they ask why I’m quiet, why I look sad. I try to explain, but how do you tell your 10-year-old that you had to tell other children to go home hungry?” 

Many interviewees said the shortage of fuel is as serious as shortage of funds. One told us: “The biggest problem now isn’t even the food, it’s the fuel. To cook for 400 people, you need a lot of fire. Cooking gas is like gold. The volunteers spend hours searching for firewood.” 

Another said: “A sack of charcoal that cost 3,000 Sudanese pounds before the war now costs 18-20,000 pounds, if you can find it. We send volunteers to search for firewood but it’s dangerous. Some areas are controlled by armed groups and we’ve had volunteers threatened.”