DeepSummary
The episode discusses the dire food situation and looming famine in Sudan, with 2.5 million people projected to die from hunger by September 2024 if nothing changes. Despite agreements to allow humanitarian aid corridors, little assistance is reaching those in need due to conflicts between warring parties and lack of funding from the international community.
Sudanese activists like Mohanad El Balal, founder of Khartoum Kitchen, are stepping up to provide food aid through community kitchens. However, their efforts are severely constrained by security risks, lack of resources, and the scale of the crisis. Sudanese people are relying on each other and depleting their own limited means to survive, which is not sustainable in the long run.
Al Jazeera correspondent Hiba Morgan shares harrowing accounts of the suffering on the ground, with parents having to choose which child gets more food and people resorting to watering down meals until they are effectively eating "flavored water." She emphasizes the desperation, resilience, and sense of abandonment among Sudanese people as the world turns a blind eye to their plight.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Sudan is facing a catastrophic famine, with 2.5 million people projected to die from hunger by September 2024 if no action is taken.
- Despite agreements to allow humanitarian aid corridors, little assistance is reaching those in need due to conflicts between warring parties and lack of international funding.
- Sudanese activists and community kitchens like Khartoum Kitchen are struggling to provide food aid amidst security risks, lack of resources, and the overwhelming scale of the crisis.
- Sudanese people are relying on each other and sharing their limited resources to survive, but this is not sustainable in the long run.
- The international community has largely turned a blind eye to the crisis in Sudan, with the UN appeal for aid only 15% funded.
- Al Jazeera correspondent Hiba Morgan shares heartbreaking accounts of the human suffering on the ground, with parents unable to feed their children and people resorting to watering down meals.
- The crisis is exposing the resilience and generosity of Sudanese people, but also their growing desperation and sense of abandonment as the world fails to respond adequately.
- Without urgent international intervention and aid, millions of Sudanese face imminent starvation and death.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Sudanese culture is about sharing. You have a situation where a person can afford two meals a day, so they are having one meal, so their neighbor, who has no meals, can have one meal also.“ by Mohanad El Balal
- “I've never seen the international community turn a blind eye to any catastrophe as much as they've been doing to the sudanese catastrophe.“ by Hiba Morgan
- “When we go to the market and speak to people, one person would say, well, yes, I can afford, but I just can't afford meat anymore. Or yes, I can afford vegetables, but I have to back away from the potato and just rely on just the greens because it's easier to make, but it's also cheaper and affordable.“ by Hiba Morgan
- “There are people who are dying of hunger, there's severe child malnutrition, and our kitchens are in the areas that they operate, literally a lifesaver.“ by Mohanad El Balal
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Episode Information
The Take
Al Jazeera
6/5/24
In Sudan, if nothing changes, it’s projected that 2.5 million people could die by September. Yet the international community has funded less than 15% of the aid that is needed. Aid that does arrive may be blocked or looted. So what are Sudanese doing to fill the gap?
In this episode:
- Hiba Morgan (@hiba_morgan), Al Jazeera Correspondent
- Mohanad El Balal (@mohanadelbalal), Founder, Khartoum Kitchen
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra, Chloe K. Li and Sonia Bhagat with Duha Mossad and Sarí el-Khalili, and our host Malika Bilal.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.
Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.
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