Sudan's Year-Long Fighting Dims Ramadan Festivities

"All what we were accustomed to, how we eat, drink, meet people in Ramadan, ... all of that is no longer available," said Mohamed Ali, who broke his fast in a displacement center in Port Sudan on the Red Sea.

Many have fled to the displacement center from Sudan’s capital Khartoum and other active zones where there is ongoing conflict.

Ramadan was previously marked in the East African nation with large communal night-time gatherings. Now Ali and millions of others rely on community kitchens from volunteers for a pared-down Iftar meal.

Sudan’s conflict, which is approaching its first anniversary, broke out last Ramadan between the country's Sudanese Armed Forces, SAF, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, RSF. This was a result of long-simmering tensions during four years of power-sharing.

Now more than 8.5 million people have been displaced by the fighting, according to the U.N., and about 18 million face worsening acute hunger.

The ongoing hostilities between SAF and RSF have tested Sudan’s reputation for generosity and hospitality.

The conflict "has scared some people away, but it did not stop others from staying as they are, opening their doors and houses for anyone to come inside," said Sheikh Khalid Abdul Rahman, an imam in Omdurman, a city that has seen intense fighting in recent weeks.

The United States has said it hopes to resume peace talks after Ramadan, though previous rounds have not succeeded in achieving a lasting cease-fire.

Hanan Hassan, who lives at a shelter in Omdurman, said "everyone has had enough" of the conflict, adding, SAF and RSF must stop "once and for all."