STORY: Sudanese launch charity initiatives to help displaced people amid civil war  
SHOOTING TIME: April 22, 2024
DATELINE: April 23, 2024
LENGTH: 00:03:49
LOCATION: OMDURMAN, Sudan
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Fak Riq Takia providing food for displaced people
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): OSMAN AL-JUNDI, Founder of Fak Riq Takia
3. various of Fak Riq Takia providing food for displaced people
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): NIMEIRY TAHA, Sudanese citizen
5. various of Fak Riq Takia providing food for displaced people
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): AL-TAYEB AL-MUZAMIL, Sudanese citizen
7. various of Fak Riq Takia providing food for displaced people

STORYLINE:

In November 2023, Osman Al-Jundi, a Sudanese journalist, launched the Fak Riq Takia to provide food for displaced people in Omdurman, a city located northwest of the Sudanese capital Khartoum.

After the outbreak of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on April 15, 2023, Sudanese activists and volunteers, including individuals like Al-Jundi, set up Takias in Khartoum and other cities, where they offered food and support to residents grappling with severe livelihood and security challenges resulting from the conflict.

The term Takia originated from the Arabic word "mutaka." In Sudan, it refers to a place where people perform religious rituals, such as the memorization of the Holy Quran by religious students, while also serving as a sanctuary for the impoverished and needy, providing them with access to food and refuge.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): OSMAN AL-JUNDI, Founder of Fak Riq Takia
"This is an initiative for providing a morning meal, basically tea with milk and Luqaimat, also called Zalabia (round-shaped balls made primarily from sorghum or corn flour dough, a famous traditional food in Sudan). We also provide a lunch meal for around 302 families living in homes and shelter centers"

Fak Riq Takia, a local colloquial term for morning breakfast and one of the most notable Takias in Sudan, receives both financial and in-kind support from public and private bodies, as well as Sudanese expatriates, Al-Jundi noted.

In addition to food assistance, Fak Riq Takia also provided other services, such as giving clothing to families affected by the conflict, many of whom had fled their homes without their belongings, according to Al-Jundi.

"Furthermore, we distributed bags containing baked goods, sweets, and children's clothing to needy families during the recent Eid al-Fitr celebration, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan," he added.

Since the conflict began in April last year, more than 14,700 fatalities have been recorded, while the number of people displaced inside and outside of Sudan has reached 8.2 million, according to figures published by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Many displaced Sudanese rely on charities for their daily sustenance.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): NIMEIRY TAHA, Sudanese citizen
"Because of the war and the falling shells, I fled from Al-Omda neighborhood in old Omdurman and came here. Thanks to this initiative, we receive what we need of food."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): AL-TAYEB AL-MUZAMIL, Sudanese citizen
"I was displaced from Al-Hattana neighborhood in Omdurman. Here we found genuine Sudanese generosity. They provide us with morning and evening meals, and brother Osman Al-Jundi is making a remarkable effort in managing the Takia."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Omdurman, Sudan.
(XHTV)