Author: Nadya Labiba

Around the world, many people struggle to access healthcare. An Islamic Relief project in Yemen is helping to transform lives in a country where the decade-long crisis has put immense strain on the healthcare sector.

Facilities are critically under-resourced, and workers are in short supply thanks to low pay and mass displacement. Yemen has only around 10 healthcare workers per 10,000 people – far below the World Health Organisation’s benchmark of 22 per 10,000. 67 of Yemen’s 333 districts have no doctors at all.

Many health facilities are largely non-functional, with only 50% across the country fully operational. Since the escalation of the crisis in 2015, there have been more than 160 confirmed attacks on healthcare centres. The results of such violence – deaths of staff and destruction of facilities – further lessen the healthcare sector’s ability to meet the needs of Yemenis.

All this combines to exacerbate a health crisis in which vulnerable people, particularly children, are dying from preventable diseases at alarming rates. Malnutrition is also a major issue among children, with nearly 50% of under-fives suffering moderate to severe forms.

A multi-faceted approach to meeting needs

In late 2022, Islamic Relief began supporting four district hospitals in Hodeida and Amran governorates.

The project, which concluded in November 2024, saw Islamic Relief give funding, training, and equipment to the facilities, which provide services including general consultations, surgeries and emergency care.

At the start of the project, we launched a training program for healthcare workers to boost their skills in maternal and newborn care. As part of the training, the 100 participants received monthly incentives to boost retention. Staff also began community outreach programs to raise awareness around health in more remote areas, reaching communities that are typically underserved.

Throughout the project, we monitored local cholera outbreaks, making urgent deliveries of cholera medicine when case numbers rose in 2024.

We also provided furniture, such as desks and cabinets, to professionals working in more remote areas, creating a more comfortable environment for staff and patients. With comfort and safety in mind, we also trucked clean water to facilities and supplied them with cleaning materials.

More and better services for communities in Yemen

The project led to significantly improved community access to healthcare, as well as an improvement in the quality of the care itself.

Evaluations revealed an uptick in the number of people using healthcare services at the facilities we supported, as well as an increase in patient satisfaction with these services.

By the project’s conclusion, more than 268,920 people had received care, and more than 1,979 surgeries had been carried out.

Prior to the project, none of the 4 hospitals involved were able to provide 24/7 care due to differing levels of staff skills. However, after the staff completed training, all 4 facilities were able to deliver around-the-clock care.

This increase has led to reduced mortality and morbidity rates among communities, while testimonials from healthcare workers highlighted improved patient outcomes.

Islamic Relief has been supporting the people of Yemen since 1998. Please help us to continue this vital work.

The Australian Council for International Development and 21 humanitarian agencies are raising alarm at the ongoing catastrophe in Sudan, the largest humanitarian crisis in the world today.

Sudan has been in the grips of a violent civil conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023. The United Nations has described Sudan as one of the worst humanitarian crises of the 21st century.  As of November 2025, more than 150,000 people have been killed, and more than 14 million displaced from their homes. 

In October 2025, after over two and a half years of being under siege, the city of El Fasher was taken by the RSF. At the time, over 260,000 civilians were estimated to be trapped in El Fasher. Since then, there has been widespread reporting of violence against civilians, including mass killings, sexual and gender-based violence, and the targeting of children. The UN estimates that almost 71,000 people have been displaced from El Fasher, yet the limited number of civilians arriving at camps for displaced people raises grave concerns regarding the scale of atrocities.    

The signatories below appreciate the Australian Government’s commitment of $60 million to this crisis since April 2023, including the $10 million announced since the recent crisis in El Fasher.

The Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2025 was developed by the United Nations in response to global funding shortfalls and attempted to reprioritise needs in order to maximise lifesaving assistance to those most vulnerable. However, the Response Plan remains critically underfunded, at just under 28 per cent.

In the face of this tragedy, we call on the Australian Government to:

• Provide an additional $40 million in humanitarian assistance to Sudan, matching the government’s humanitarian support to Sudan in 2023 and 2024 of $50 million.
• Place diplomatic pressure on all state and non-state actors providing military, financial, logistical and other support to the conflicting parties of the crisis to ensure:
  • Humanitarian access to all areas and the safe passage of humanitarian support
  • The protection of humanitarian workers, particularly local staff and volunteers and including through financial support
  • Adherence to international humanitarian law
   
• Contribute to multilateral efforts toward a ceasefire and accountability for perpetrators

ACFID members continue to respond in Sudan and neighbouring countries, providing lifesaving assistance, including water and sanitation, mental health and psychosocial support, emergency food rations and nutrition services, shelter and non-food items, and multi-purpose cash assistance.

 Quotes attributable to Matthew Maury, CEO of ACFID:

“ACFID recognises the significant humanitarian contributions that the Australian Government has made to date in Sudan. But as this crisis continues to escalate and cause devastation, now is the time to do more.”

“Australia should use all existing diplomatic relationships with nations who are uniquely placed in the region to contribute towards peace efforts. The Australian Government should leverage these relationships to bring coordinated pressure on warring Sudanese parties in order to ensure humanitarian access, the protection of humanitarian workers, and to land a peace agreement. It is essential aid workers can safely attend to those most in need, especially in El Fasher.”

“The Australian public can do their part to alleviate the suffering by helping to support the ACFID members who are involved in humanitarian work in Sudan.”

“The Australian humanitarian sector stands in solidarity with the Australian Sudanese diaspora communities and supports their efforts to advocate for an increased response from our government to this devastating conflict.”left in El Fasher or those that choose to flee.”

Islamic Relief has previously warned that civilians in El Fasher must be protected following its capture on 26 October, and allowed safe passage to leave the city if they choose to do so. Aid supplies should be allowed to reach it to alleviate hunger.

After more than two years of relentless atrocities, a ceasefire deal has been agreed. But for Palestinians in Gaza this is not an end to the nightmare. The toll on children has been devastating.

Homes, hospitals, and schools lie in ruins, and countless families remain displaced. More than 65,000 people have been killed. Furthermore, 39,000 children have been left without parents or guardians to care for them.

Grieving, exhausted, and hungry, they have been shattered and are facing a man-made famine.

Among them are children supported through Islamic Relief’s Orphan Sponsorship Program – young lives marked by unimaginable loss and pain.

Recently, our teams received questions from some of these children following the ceasefire announcement last month. Their words lay bare the trauma of the bombardment, and the longing for safety, home, and family.

Here, we hear from some of Gaza’s most vulnerable.

The questions no child should have to ask

Each question reflects a child’s attempt to understand what has been taken from them. Despite their pain, they hold onto the possibility of a future beyond loss, and here at Islamic Relief, we’re here to support them through some of their hardest moments.

A lifeline of hope

For over 22 years, Islamic Relief has been supporting orphans in Gaza. Since October 2023, the scale of need has grown unimaginably. But thanks to your support and generosity, our Orphan Sponsorship Program has been a lifeline for thousands of children – giving them hope when everything else has been taken away from them.

Islamic Relief has been able to expand our Orphan Sponsorship Program to reach over 21,000 children in Gaza – including 13,500 who have been newly sponsored since the escalation began.

However, we are devastated to report that since October 2023, 175 of our sponsored orphans and 72 guardians have been killed.

Your orphan sponsorship has continued to be a lifeline for the children of Gaza, in the midst of blockade and bombardment.

These vital cash grants help families with access to urgent funds, providing orphan families with access to food , and more importantly, hope.

Supporting Gaza’s orphan children

Now, Gaza’s children continue to face extraordinary hardship. Yet, through your generosity, they are finding strength and hope.

Together, we can ensure that orphans in Gaza are cared for, protected, and given the chance to rebuild their lives.

More than 2 years into one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent history, Sudan falls deeper into crisis by the day. The fall of El Fasher marks another dark chapter in a conflict that has already claimed countless lives.

Videos, photos, and eyewitness accounts from the city are unbearable to witness; streets lined with lifeless bodies, families trapped without food or shelter, and children facing unimaginable suffering.

Starvation has become one of the conflict’s most devastating weapons. Across the country, families go without food for days at a time. Mothers are forced to watch their children waste away from malnutrition, their cries echoing in homes stripped bare by violence and displacement. 

And yet, the international community continues to look away, with fleeting media coverage, inadequate humanitarian responses, and a lack of political will.

Amid this silence, there remains buried a remarkable story of resilience.

In neighbourhoods across the country, Sudanese communities have built networks of care and survival. At the heart of these efforts are takaaya – community kitchens established and ran by local volunteers who function as frontline responders.

These kitchens are more than just a source of food; they are a symbol of collective resistance, dignity, and hope. Volunteers, often facing hunger and danger themselves, work tirelessly in these kitchens to feed their neighbours with minimal resources, powered largely by contributions from the Sudanese diaspora.

Those funds are running out, however. With so many funding cuts, the future of the takaaya hangs by a thread. Many in Darfur have already been forced to close their doors.

“I want people to know that Sudan is still here. We are not just statistics or headlines. Every person has a name, a story, a life that mattered before this conflict and will matter after. We young Sudanese people aren’t passive, we are very active, we organise, we are part of the volunteers, we try to keep our families going. We don’t want to wait for someone to save us, insha’Allah we will get Sudan back.”

Ibrahim, 24-year-old takaaya volunteer

Takaaya: How community kitchens offer a local lifeline to Sudan’s hunger crisis is a new report by Islamic Relief Worldwide that sheds light on these vital local efforts. It draws on interviews with non-governmental organisation workers, diaspora organisers, and takaaya volunteers from some of the most inaccessible regions of Sudan, including North Kordofan and Darfur. The report reveals the courage and ingenuity sustaining families in the face of starvation and violent conflict.

The message is clear: We must act now. Supporting and funding these community-led kitchens is one tangible way to show our solidarity. Islamic Relief is working in partnership with the takaaya in places such as North Kordofan to support communities that are suffering some of the worst consequences of the crisis. Every takaaya that stays open is another community that lives to see another day. The people of Sudan have not given up, and neither can we.

While we continue to call for action in Sudan, help Islamic Relief to continue supporting people in desperate need in of aid. Donate to our Sudan Emergency Appeal today.

What is Ramadan? 

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar.

During this sacred period, healthy adult Muslims are required to fast each day from dawn until dusk. This includes abstaining from drinking, eating, sexual relations, displeasing behaviours and anger. At the same time, other acts of worship such as prayer, reading the Quran and giving charity are encouraged during the Holy Month.

Ramadan lasts 29 or 30 days, depending on the sighting of the moon, as the Islamic calendar follows the lunar cycle.

As such, the time the month takes place each year varies. Generally, it roughly moves back 10 or 11 days from its previous date in the more commonly used Gregorian calendar. 

This year, Ramadan is expected to begin on the evening of Wednesday, February 18, 2026, and end on Friday, March 20, 2026, depending on the sighting of the moon.

Why is Fasting Important During Ramadan?

As revealed in the Quran in Surah Al-Baqarah, Allah (SWT) has made it obligatory for Muslims to fast during the month of Ramadan.

“O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you—as it was for those before you—so perhaps you will become mindful (of Allah). (Fast a) prescribed number of days…Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed as a guide for humanity with clear proofs of guidance and the decisive authority. So whoever is present this month, let them fast.”

Quran, 2:183-185

In these verses, Allah (SWT) establishes fasting during Ramadan as an important act of worship. He also emphasises the sacredness of Ramadan as the month the Quran was revealed and gifted to humanity.

The first day of fasting is expected to start on Thursday, February 19, 2026.

More Ramadan Acts: Giving Zakat and Other Donations

Ramadan is filled with many opportunities to earn rewards through good deeds and providing charity is one of them. From fulfilling Zakat to giving more Sadaqah, paying Fitrana (Zakat al-Fitr) or repaying missed fasts through Fidya (Fidyah) or Kaffarah, there are many ways to give during this month.

The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) himself also gave more charity during this blessed month than at any other time. As narrated by Ibn Abbas:

“The Prophet (ﷺ) was the most generous of people in charity, but he was generous to the utmost in the month of Ramadan…giving charity like the blowing wind.”

Sahih Muslim

Important Dates in Ramadan

The Night of Power – Laylatul Qadr

In Ramadan, Allah (SWT)’s great love and mercy towards us have made it so that every good deed we do in this blessed month is multiplied by many.

This is especially true in the last 10 nights of the blessed month, which are full of even greater rewards and blessings. This is because it contains the most blessed of nights: Laylatul Qadr.

In the Qur’an, Allah (SWT) says this about Laylatul Qadr:

“What will make you realise what the Night of Power is like? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. Angels and the Spirit descend upon it with their Lord´s permission with every command; There is peace that night until the coming of dawn.” 

Qur’an (97:1-5)

Eid al-Fitr 2026

Eid al-fitr marks the end of the blessed month of Ramadan. This year, Eid al-Fitr day is expected to be celebrated on Saturday, March 21, 2026. However, the exact date depends on the sighting of the moon for Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic Calendar.

• 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 mean that many community kitchens face imminent closure without support.
• In places like El Fasher in Darfur, volunteer-run kitchens are the only source of food for families as international aid is cut off.

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 (6 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 include:

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. It works in partnership with takaaya across the country, including in hard-to-reach areas such as Darfur and North Kordofan.

Notes to editors:

• The full report, “Takaaya: How Community Kitchens Offer a Lifeline to Sudan’s Hunger Crisis,” is available here
• The household survey was conducted in September 2025 across 585 households in four localities: Al Fao and Al Fashaga in Gedaref state in eastern Sudan, and Golo and Nertiti in Central Darfur state in western Sudan.
• Interviews with takaaya volunteers were carried out all over the country, including in Khartoum, Omdurman, Kordofan, Darfur and Port Sudan. Some quotes are included below.

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.”

Humanitarian aid deliveries must be allowed to reach North Darfur’s El Fasher as famine is confirmed to be present there for a second time, and 96% of Sudanese residents in the city are going to bed hungry, Islamic Relief warns.

The warning comes amid news from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) that famine is expected to persist in El Fasher and Kadugli towns through January 2026 after having been previously announced there by the world’s leading food monitor. 20 other locations are also at risk.

Elsadig Elnour, country director at Islamic Relief Sudan, commenting on the IPC report, said:

“This IPC report confirms what we already know. That this siege of El Fasher has been a disaster for the civilians there. Hundreds of thousands of El Fasher residents have been besieged for 18 months, attacked and killed, and now we learn from this report that 96 percent of them are going to bed hungry and famine is confirmed there. This is a horror show happening before the eyes of the international community.”

“Islamic Relief is calling for the warring factions to ensue unrestricted aid access and safe passage to El Fasher and Kadugli. They must allow agencies to help end the famine which these sieges created. We continue to call for guarantees of safety for civilians left in El Fasher or those that choose flee.”

Islamic Relief has previously warned that civilians in El Fasher must be protected following its capture on 26 October, and allowed safe passage to leave the city if they choose to do so. Aid supplies should be allowed to reach it to alleviate hunger.

Humanitarian and civilian protection organisations are sounding the alarm over credible reports of massacres unfolding in and around El Fasher, North Darfur, where civilians are being killed, starved, and terrorised as fighting reaches catastrophic levels. Without immediate action, tens of thousands of people could die within days from violence, hunger, and the continued denial of humanitarian access.

For months, relentless shelling and ground assaults have devastated El Fasher, with civilians trapped between frontlines. Entire neighbourhoods have been razed, homes burned, and bodies lie unburied in the streets. Eventually, on 27 October, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized control of the city. Witnesses describe scenes of horror – people killed as they flee, the wounded left to die, and children crying beside the corpses of their parents.

“Over the last 72 hours, we have received multiple credible reports of attacks on civilians in their homes and public places, in hospitals and on roadsides in their attempt to flee to Tawila and other places. These attacks – on civilians, medical staff and other providers of life-saving support, and civilian infrastructure – must stop with immediate effect,” said Peter Burgess, Head of the InterAgency Working Group.

Death Along the Roads to Safety

Civilians attempting to flee toward Tawila and nearby villages are facing systematic extortion, abductions, sexual violence and executions at checkpoints. IDPs in Tawila reported bodies every ten metres along the route between El Fasher and Tawila; many of those arriving in Tawila are elderly, injured, or severely malnourished, and some die on arrival.

More than 400,000 displaced people were already sheltering in Tawila before the fall of El Fasher.
Now, those who do manage to leave El Fasher and reach Tawila find limited food, medicine, or shelter. Children are arriving alone, separated from their families, some suffering from shock and visible starvation. Host communities are overwhelmed, and humanitarian agencies barely have the ability to meet half of the current population’s most basic needs.

Collapse of Humanitarian Access

Humanitarian access to El Fasher has collapsed entirely, and the safety of those civilians still trapped in the city is a major concern. Local aid workers are operating under fire, with communications cut and convoys blocked by siege tactics. Families are dying from hunger and dehydration inside the city, unable to flee, while aid agencies are unable to reach them. The situation constitutes a complete humanitarian blackout in violation of international humanitarian law.

A Call for Urgent and Decisive Action

Humanitarian and protection organisations call on governments, regional bodies, and the United Nations Security Council to act now to prevent further atrocities:

1. Demand an immediate cessation of attacks on civilians, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances and summary executions.
2. Insist on the safe and reliable evacuation of civilians and unhindered access for those providing life-saving humanitarian assistance.
3. Ensure the protection of civilians, humanitarian and medical workers and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and water/energy utilities, which are all protected under International Humanitarian Law
4. Deploy urgent humanitarian assistance and evacuation operations along displacement routes to reach those stranded between El Fasher and Tawila, providing food, water, medical care, and protection.
5. Support local responders and community-based protection networks who continue to risk their lives to save others.
6. Condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the deliberate targeting of civilians, including extrajudicial killings, ethnic-based detentions, and sexual violence, and ensure accountability for these crimes.
7. Use all diplomatic and economic leverage on external actors fuelling the conflict to halt arms transfers and financial support to warring parties.

The Inter-Agency Working Group is a consortium of NGOs with regional presence and programs across Eastern and Central Africa. They working to strengthen humanitarian and sustainable development outcomes across the region, through enhanced coordination, advocacy, technical expertise and active challenging of the broader aid community.

Islamic Relief is appalled at the death and destruction in Gaza overnight – the deadliest period since the ceasefire was announced, as Israeli bombs tore through tents and shelters of displaced families and killed dozens of Palestinians, including more than 20 children.

The ceasefire announcement brought hope, but last night brought pure terror – families who were celebrating with relief just days ago are now buried under rubble. The initial hope is rapidly fading as commitments are broken on a daily basis and Israel continues to kill Palestinians and block humanitarian aid.

Despite promises to allow a surge of aid into Gaza to stop the famine, nowhere near enough is being allowed in. Lifesaving food, medicine, and shelter continue to be blocked, and many NGOs are prevented from bringing aid in.

World leaders must act urgently to ensure the ceasefire is upheld, and pressure Israel to stop killing civilians, end its illegal blockade and allow full, unimpeded humanitarian access.

Time is running out to protect civilians in the Darfur city of El Fasher, where there are horrific reports of mass killings and suffering as fighting has intensified over the past few days.  

The humanitarian situation in the city is now catastrophic, as civilians have endured an 18-month siege that has cut off all aid. Homes, hospitals, schools and mosques have been repeatedly bombed. Many families in the city are now starving as supplies of food and medicine have run out, but humanitarian aid continues to be blocked. Local community kitchens and mutual aid groups have become the only lifeline for many families, but they are increasingly short of funds and face extreme risks.

Tens of thousands of people have reportedly managed to flee the city, but many escape routes have been cut off and up to 250,000 more people remain trapped there and scared for their lives.

Islamic Relief Worldwide is calling on the international community to increase pressure for an immediate ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access into the city, and safe and dignified passage out of the city for all civilians who wish to leave.

As more people risk their lives to try and escape, Islamic Relief aid workers in central Darfur are preparing for an anticipated influx of families. In recent months Islamic Relief’s health and nutrition clinics in central Darfur have received hundreds of families who are on the verge of starvation after managing to escape El Fasher and its surrounding camps. Many arrived in a desperately malnourished state after walking for many days to try and reach some level of safety, and have reported horrifying accounts of bombing and looting along the route.

Shihab Mohamed Ali, Islamic Relief’s senior program manager, said:

“We expect significant numbers of displaced people fleeing El Fasher to arrive at our clinics in the coming days. El Fasher is a terrifying place for civilians right now. Some of our team members have relatives there but communication is down and they said they haven’t heard from them for the past three days. At the moment civilians do not have safe routes to escape the city, but the situation there is alarming so many people are trying to get out any way they can, whether in the middle of the night or by paying bribes they cannot afford. We are calling for civilians to be protected and for humanitarian aid to be allowed to reach people.”

In Central Darfur, Islamic Relief operates 12 nutrition centres, 10 primary healthcare centres and 2 mobile health clinics, which reach the most remote areas in the mountainous Jebal Marra region. Across Sudan, Islamic Relief has delivered aid to 1.2 million people since the war broke out in April 2023.