Life for Relief and Development Intensifies Its Efforts to Combat Famine in Sudan: Escalating Hunger and Poverty Place Humanitarian Organizations Before Growing Challenges!

Country: Sudan

Source: Life for Relief and Development

By Tasneem El-Raidi

This year’s Eid al-Adha comes as Sudan continues to endure one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The ongoing war, now lasting for more than two years, has displaced millions of families and left vast numbers of people without sources of income. Millions are facing tragic conditions inside displacement camps and conflict zones amid rapidly rising hunger rates and unprecedented food prices.

According to reports from the World Food Programme, nearly 19.5 million people are suffering from acute hunger and food insecurity, including 135,000 people living under catastrophic famine conditions. Around 34 million Sudanese urgently require humanitarian assistance, while more than 4.2 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition, making Sudan currently one of the gravest hunger and humanitarian disaster zones in the world.

510,000 Poor Families Benefited from Qurbani Meat in 2025

Life for Relief and Development continues its intensive preparations to launch its Eid al-Adha projects through field teams operating across Sudan and many countries around the world.

We spoke with Vicky Roob, National and International Programs Director at the organization, who explained that the Qurbani project is one of the deepest humanitarian initiatives the organization has carried out for more than 33 years. It is not only because it provides food, but because it also brings dignity and joy to families who wait for Eid al-Adha year after year, hoping they might be able to eat meat, even if only for a few days.

She added that the successive humanitarian crises — including famine in Sudan and other Arab countries, global inflation, and the sharp rise in food and meat prices across most African countries — have left millions of families unable to secure even their most basic nutritional needs.

“Today, we are no longer speaking only about poverty,” she said. “We are speaking about entire families that can no longer provide food, and children who experience Eid while waiting for a meal they may receive only once a year. Some know the smell of grilled meat more than they know its taste, living in hope that their share of the Qurbani meat will reach them during Eid.”

Omar El-Raidi, Director of the Projects Department, added:

“The Qurbani project carries a unique humanitarian dimension unlike other relief programs because it does not only address direct needs, but also touches the psychological and social wellbeing of struggling families. In other relief programs, we provide what is necessary for families to survive and remain resilient. But Qurbani offers something different — it gives families a sense of participation, joy, and dignity, fulfilling a simple wish that may seem ordinary to some, but means a great deal to millions of people in need.”

He explained that “Life” is implementing the Qurbani project this year in 39 countries and regions worldwide, including areas suffering from conflict, humanitarian disasters, and severe poverty, such as Gaza, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Côte d’Ivoire, Jordan, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Somaliland, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Turkey, Uganda, the West Bank, and Yemen.

“Our Qurbani Meat Is Delivered to Needy Families with the Same Quality We Serve Our Own Children”

From Sudan, we also spoke with Ms. Rima Bakir, Life’s Project Coordinator in Sudan, who explained that last year the organization provided Qurbani meat to 15,120 displaced people in the Yifi and Dashrifi village clusters in Kassala State.

Regarding the preparation and distribution process, she said:

“The Qurbani project carries a special humanitarian dimension that goes beyond traditional aid because it gives vulnerable families a rare opportunity to obtain food they may not be able to afford throughout the entire year. There are families living under extremely harsh conditions, such as widows in displacement camps or families who have completely lost their sources of income. When these families receive even a small amount of money, they are forced to spend it on the most urgent necessities such as flour, medicine, and essential living supplies, while meat remains completely beyond their purchasing power. But when Qurbani meat reaches them directly, it becomes a real family meal around which everyone gathers, allowing children to experience the joy of Eid — something many have been deprived of for years.”

She emphasized that “Life” pays close attention to the quality of the sacrificial animals and the distribution process out of respect for the dignity of beneficiaries and their right to receive safe and nutritious food.

“We are committed to all Islamic and health standards during the implementation of the project. We ensure that the sacrificial animals meet religious requirements, and we carefully supervise every stage of slaughtering, preparation, and distribution. We also ensure that the meat reaching needy families is fresh and of high quality.

We do not treat the Qurbani project merely as aid distribution, but as a humanitarian message. Therefore, we believe that what reaches the tables of struggling families should be of the same quality we would accept for our own families and children.”

Between the Donor and the Needy… A Network of Trust

Despite the unprecedented humanitarian and security complications witnessed in Sudan, “Life” has continued implementing the Qurbani project in an effort to reach displaced and affected families living under devastating conditions caused by war and repeated displacement.

Working inside Sudan during wartime has not been an easy task, but Life’s teams have made exceptional efforts to ensure that Qurbani meat reaches displaced families enduring extremely difficult humanitarian conditions.

The organization confirmed that priority in distribution is given to the most vulnerable groups, including displaced and refugee families, victims of wars and natural disasters, as well as orphans, widows, elderly people, and families suffering from extreme poverty.

Life’s teams have continued carrying out Qurbani distributions in Sudan for the third consecutive year despite escalating conflict and the increasing difficulty of humanitarian access to many affected regions.

The organization’s efforts during Eid al-Adha are not limited to distributing meat. They also include humanitarian and recreational programs targeting children and affected families. “Life” organizes family Eid celebrations and special events for orphans that include entertainment activities and psychological support programs aimed at bringing some joy to children living amid war, displacement, and disasters.

These activities seek to ease the psychological burdens suffered by children and their families throughout the year, especially inside displacement shelters, by creating celebratory environments that provide them with a temporary sense of safety and happiness.

The organization currently sponsors more than 13,100 orphans around the world through its continuous humanitarian care and sponsorship programs.

For more information:

Life for Relief and Development – Udhiyah Campaign

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