(Eric) I begin this monthly update with a plea—and follow with a question.
(Gaffar has traveled to Uganda to see his mother, whom he’s not seen in ten years, and other family member who are part of the Darfur diaspora. On his return, he will translate the monthly report from Team Zamzam detailing their work in Tina (Darfur)/Tiné (Chad); I will then distribute it to this email list-serve.)
My plea here is that you consider increasing your contribution to Project Zamzam, as we face a number of significant and ongoing fiscal headwinds, as do many other smaller-scale humanitarian projects. For more than five and a half years, your generosity has allowed our project to grow to a staff of (approximately) 20 highly skilled and resourceful counselors, as well as a contingent of able volunteers. Last year Team Zamzam was able to provide at least some food relief to more than 125,000 people, mainly malnourished children—the largest total to date. Hundreds of girls and women received desperately needed psychosocial counseling, often making remarkable progress in overcoming the effects of their traumatizing experiences. Ours is the most significant local effort in the Tina/Tiné area. (For the Project Zamzam 2025 Annual Report, please see here.)
Contributions can be made via our longtime 501/c/3 fiscal sponsor, Operation Broken Silence, on a page dedicated to Project Zamzam.
But we are a small operation: and if providing crucial relief, cannot begin to address the massive needs of a rapidly growing population of displaced persons. We do all we can with the resources we receive, which presently allows a monthly budget of $15,000 (and I would note again that there is no overhead for Project Zamzam: all funds reach the ground and support the work of Team Zamzam).
So, I come to my question: Who really cares about Darfur? Who truly cares about the people of Sudan? Where is the commitment to this ravaged country on the part of the international community? There can be little doubt about the need for massive humanitarian assistance. As a placeholder for our monthly update, I have assembled here a compendium of recent reports on the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, and Sudan generally: While highly informative (I believe), it runs to over 20 pages of exceedingly grim reading. So below I’ve assembled below a much briefer collection of striking headlines and key talking points coming from relief organizations that are attempting to respond to the world’s greatest humanitarian crisis; the moral implications, I am convinced, are overwhelmingly compelling:
“Action Against Hunger has warned that ‘more than 375,000 people are at real risk of starvation.’”
“More than 21 million people [in Sudan] face high levels of acute food insecurity.” (International Rescue Committee—IRC)
“Over four million people are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year, and the country’s health system has virtually collapsed.” Action Against Hunger
“More people are living in famine conditions in Sudan than the rest of the world combined.” (IRC)
“Sudan is the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. It is also the largest and fastest displacement crisis.” (Sudan Tribune)
“Starvation is rising and becoming entrenched in areas humanitarian actors are prevented from accessing.” (Mercy Corps)
“More than 21 million people face high levels of acute food insecurity.” (IRC)
“More than 12 million people have been displaced since April 2023.” (IRC)
“The European Union’s humanitarian chief warned on [February 10] that Sudan’s conflict has reached ‘beyond the catastrophic’ level, with more than 33 million people requiring aid as the war surpasses 1,000 days.” (EU Commission)
The health system is near collapse, with more than 70% of Sudan’s health facilities are no longer functional. (UNICEF)
It is only February, but early signs strongly suggest that the gap between funding and needs will grow significantly this year, the second in which USAID will not be the U.S. funder of major humanitarian projects:
“Barely 40% of the required funding needed to address the humanitarian crisis in Sudan was secured in 2025. As a result, 57% of the displaced population—more than half of a population desperate for humanitarian assistance—did not receive even food because of a lack of funding.” (CARE)
“With this influx increasing the strain on the limited resources of these remote towns, Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) data released on February 6 confirmed that hunger levels, already classified as ‘catastrophic,” have exceeded the ‘famine’ threshold. Over half of all children in Um Baru, and 34% in Kernoi, are suffering acute malnutrition.”
(From the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC))
“[The UN assessment/warning] follows the release of new data from the IPC, a UN-backed global food security monitoring system, from three localities there – Um Baru, Kernoi and al-Tine – indicating ‘catastrophic’ malnutrition rates.” “Extreme hunger and malnutrition come for children first, the youngest, the smallest, the most vulnerable,” Pires said. “If famine is looming there, it can take hold anywhere.”
(UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires speaking on the implication of this finding)
[These are areas where there is no significant current military activity, although the threat of RSF attack is ongoing—ER]
[Al-Tiné (Chad)/Tina (Darfur) is where Project Zamzam is located, attempting in the absence of sustained international humanitarian commitment to provide food, medicine—and psychosocial counseling to traumatized girls and women who have suffered sexual violence at the hands of the RSF and their allies. Reports of rape, already widespread, have increased dramatically in recent months.]
“In parts of North Darfur more than half of all children are acutely malnourished. The warning follows the release of new data from the IPC, a UN-backed global food security monitoring system, from three localities there – Um Baru, Kernoi, and al-Tiné – indicating “catastrophic” malnutrition rates.” (UN News)
“Acute malnutrition for children aged 6 – 59 months and pregnant and breastfeeding women is expected to deteriorate in 2026, with nearly 4.2 million estimated cases of acute malnutrition, including more than 800,000 cases of severe acute malnutrition (SAM). (CARE)
[Most children suffering from SAM who are not receiving therapeutic feeding will die—ER]
“Famine does not happen overnight. It is the result of months of siege, violence, and neglect. In Darfur, we are seeing entire communities left with nothing: no food, no aid, nothing,” explains Samy Guessabi, director of Action Against Hunger in Sudan.
