Witnesses: USAID cuts left community kitchens shuttered as Sudan faces famine

WASHINGTON — Aid leaders told a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee that local, community‑run emergency response rooms (ERRs) once funded in part by U.S. assistance are critical to saving lives in besieged areas of Sudan and that funding cuts have sharply reduced their operations.

Ranking Member Jacobs told the committee that "The Trump administration cut all funding for these kitchens, forcing nearly 80% of all activities to stop and affecting over 1,460 community kitchens operating across Sudan," a loss witnesses said directly translated into fewer meals and less basic health and hygiene support.

Ken Isaacs of Samaritan’s Purse described long‑running cross‑border operations and airdrops that have reached famine‑affected areas, saying the underlying problem remains political: "The number 1 driver in famine is man made problems. It's not nature." Isaacs warned that unless humanitarian access is guaranteed, food deliveries will be obstructed.

Nicole Wittershein of Human Rights Watch said ERRs are often able to operate where international agencies cannot because "they lived there" and know local access points; she urged Congress to restore targeted funding to those community mechanisms and to back multilateral appeals. She also noted that the U.S. remains a major bilateral donor but that the 2025 humanitarian appeal for Sudan is underfunded.

Witnesses and members asked for specific next steps, including targeted appropriations to restart ERRs, clearer carve‑outs in any designation or sanctions policy to protect humanitarian operations, and oversight to ensure that funds reach those local implementers.

The committee did not vote on funding but collected additional questions for the record and signaled willingness to consider legislative steps to restore aid channels and oversight.