Updates from the field
When Food Becomes a Weapon
Shai Fund's support for Christians in Darfur
February 25, 2026 | by Charmaine Hedding
In late 2025, famine conditions tightened across Darfur. For Christian families, hunger was compounded by exclusion. In several camps and towns, believers reported being bypassed during general food distributions and told, “You are Christians; your own people will support you.”
In December, Shai Fund continued our mission to stand with the persecuted by providing life-saving food aid to 270 Christian families or 1,658 individuals fleeing violence in Darfur. Working through trusted house church networks, distributions were carried out discreetly so families did not have to hide their faith to survive.
Mariam, a Christian leader in Darfur, described the crisis in her church community as enduring immense suffering due to the ongoing war and deliberate religious persecution. Having fled the violence in El Fasher, many who already lost their homes had to sell their last few remaining items to survive or had reduced their meals to once per day.
She stated, “We have an alarmingly high percentage of widows and orphans whose husbands were targeted and killed. We also suffer routine intolerance, including attacks during prayer and daily discrimination, even in public services. Crucially, when food aid arrives, Christians are systematically excluded.”
The pervasive violence, combined with famine conditions, have created an impossible situation. The rations — millet, rice, oil, sugar, and salt — came at a key time and had a profound impact. It stabilized families, protected children from acute hunger, and reduced reliance on desperate coping strategies.
Reaching the Forgotten
Darfur remains engulfed in a brutal war of attrition between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Major cities have fallen. Displacement continues to surge. Several areas have entered confirmed famine conditions.
But for the Christian minority, suffering is layered. Beyond the general violence, there is a documented pattern of exclusion from local aid committees inside displacement camps. Families report being bypassed during distributions or pressured to conceal their faith.
This intervention directly addressed that vulnerability by providing crucial aid to Mariam and her community through our connected church network on the ground.
“We are deeply grateful for your support. Your generosity has ensured that our children have been fed and cared for during this difficult,” Mariam said.
More than Food
In a place where food has become a weapon, this project restored something deeper than calories. It restored dignity. It strengthened trust within the Christian community. And it reminded families like Mariam’s that they are not forgotten.
Despite everything, she wrote, “Our church remains committed to sharing the Gospel, and the number of believers is increasing. We find strength in the Word of God.”
Even in famine. Even in war. Even under discrimination.
