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The rescuers of Khartoum: How to keep a city alive in war
During the worst of the war in Khartoum, civilians formed large volunteer networks to save lives and to feed and bury the dead while the city faced bombardment and siege. The article profiles a nurse, a delivery worker, a cook, and an undertaker whose actions kept essential services running, including during the Sabreen market bombing in February 2025. It notes Khartoum had been recaptured by the army about a year earlier, shaping the volunteers' ongoing efforts.
Why It Matters
It highlights civilian resilience and informal networks that sustain a city under war, showing how ordinary people adapt to keep essential services functioning.
Timeline
2 Events
Khartoum recaptured by the army
April 2025
Khartoum was recaptured by the army around April 2025, about a year before this report, after which AFP met volunteers who continued to operate kitchens, distribute aid, and handle burials as the city stabilized amid ongoing conflict.
Sabreen market bombing and emergency response
February 2025
On the Sabreen market bombing in February 2025, the UN said at least 60 people were killed and more than 150 wounded. In the immediate response, Osama Ismail moved between the hospital and Hoda Makki's community kitchen to deliver aid, while Nasser Nasr al-Din and other volunteers triaged the injured. Hoda Makki's kitchen prepared emergency meals for the wounded and their families, and Ali Gebbai and his team retrieved the dead, washed them according to Muslim custom, and buried them, posting photos to help families identify loved ones.