In War-Torn Sudan, Eid al-Adha Qurbani Meat Is the Only Protein Families Will Eat All Year

Key facts

• Human Appeal provided over 3.5 million Qurbani meals last year, reaching over 1.1 million beneficiaries.
• The charity's Qurbani programme has been running for over 35 years, distributing beef, lamb, mutton, and goat meat.
• Human Appeal is introducing a Kabsa Qurbani for Gaza: each Qurbani yields up to 71 ready-to-eat meals with a 1.5-year shelf life.
• Halima and her four children live in a camp for displaced people in Gedaref, Sudan, after fleeing their home amid the crisis.
• Families displaced from Khartoum, El-Fashir, and Sennar will observe their third Eid in temporary shelters.
• Qurbani is obligatory (wajib) under the Hanafi school and a highly confirmed Sunnah under Shafi'i, Maliki, and Hanbali schools for Muslims who possess nisab.
• Human Appeal is a UK-based charity established in 1991, running programmes in 30 countries.

A Festival of Sacrifice Amid Starvation

Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, arrives in Sudan this year against the backdrop of a war that has raged for three years. For millions of displaced families, the meat distributed through Qurbani will be the only animal protein they consume in the entire year. The festival, which falls at the end of May, is normally a time of communal feasting and charity, but for those uprooted from Khartoum, El-Fashir, and Sennar, it will mark a third Eid spent in tents, shelters, or the homes of strangers. Halima, a mother of four living in a camp for displaced people in Gedaref, embodies the scale of the crisis. Like countless others, she was forced to flee her home as the conflict engulfed the country. Her family now depends entirely on aid for survival, and the arrival of Qurbani meat is not a luxury but a lifeline.

The Scale of the Qurbani Operation

Human Appeal, one of the UK’s leading humanitarian charities, announced that it will deliver its annual Qurbani food distribution programme across Africa, South Asia, the Middle East, and the UK. Last year, the programme provided over 3.5 million Qurbani meals and reached over 1.1 million beneficiaries. The charity has been running the initiative for more than 35 years, distributing beef, lamb, mutton, and goat meat to vulnerable families worldwide. This year, UK donors can select from 20 countries to direct their contributions, with a particular focus on nations grappling with ongoing conflict and displacement. The charity’s campaign coincides with Eid ul-Adha, which is celebrated by approximately 2 billion Muslims globally through prayer, food sharing, and charity.

Innovation in Crisis: The Kabsa Qurbani for Gaza

In a new development, Human Appeal is introducing an innovative Kabsa Qurbani specifically designed for Gaza. Each Qurbani is performed during Eid al-Adha and then transformed into up to 71 ready-to-eat Kabsa meals — a traditional Middle Eastern dish of spiced rice and meat. Each meal contains 300 grams of lamb and rice, cooked, seasoned, sterilised, and packed airtight, with a shelf life of 1.5 years. The meals require no cooking or refrigeration, making them ideal for families without access to kitchens, fuel, or electricity. Alongside the Kabsa offering, Human Appeal will also distribute beef, mutton, and goat meat in its targeted countries, ensuring that conflict-affected communities receive culturally appropriate, life-sustaining nutrition. The Kabsa meals are compliant with religious dietary rules and designed for emergency conditions on the ground.

The Religious Imperative Behind Qurbani

Qurbani, the act of slaughtering a permissible animal during the days of Eid al-Adha (the 10th, 11th, and 12th of Dhul Hijjah), is an act of worship rooted in the story of Prophet Ibrahim (AS). It is obligatory (wajib) according to the Hanafi school of thought, and a highly confirmed Sunnah (sunnah mu’akkadah) according to the Shafi’i, Maliki, and Hanbali schools, for every adult Muslim who possesses nisab. Beyond legal categorization, Qurbani embodies submission to Allah, with the meat shared among the poor and needy. In countries like Sudan, where millions face food insecurity, the distribution of Qurbani meat becomes a lifeline. The act teaches three core values: Tawakkul (trust in Allah), Ihsan (generosity and excellence), and Shukr (gratitude). For many recipients, this is the only time of year they can eat meat protein.

The Humanitarian Context: Three Years of Displacement

The crisis in Sudan has forced millions from their homes, with families from Khartoum, El-Fashir, and Sennar now living in camps like the one in Gedaref where Halima resides. The war has disrupted agriculture, markets, and supply chains, leaving entire communities dependent on aid. For these families, the arrival of Eid al-Adha is a bittersweet reminder of the lives they lost. Human Appeal, established in 1991 and based in Manchester, UK, runs targeted aid relief programmes in collaboration with organisations such as the United Nations. Its purpose is to save and transform lives through emergency aid response and development programmes across 30 countries. The charity’s Qurbani campaign is part of a broader effort to address the hunger crisis exacerbated by conflict.

Outlook: A Festival That Demands Action

As Eid al-Adha approaches, the gap between the festival’s spirit of sacrifice and the reality of starvation in Sudan becomes stark. Charities like Human Appeal are scaling up their operations, but the need is immense. The introduction of the Kabsa Qurbani for Gaza shows how organisations are adapting to crisis conditions, but the underlying conflicts show no sign of abating. For Halima and millions like her, the Qurbani meat that arrives this Eid is not just a meal — it is a symbol of solidarity from a global community. Whether the international response can match the scale of the suffering remains an open question.

The bottom line

• Human Appeal provided over 3.5 million Qurbani meals last year, reaching over 1.1 million beneficiaries across 20 countries.
• In Sudan, families displaced from Khartoum, El-Fashir, and Sennar will observe their third Eid in temporary shelters, relying on Qurbani meat as their only animal protein for the year.
• Human Appeal’s new Kabsa Qurbani for Gaza yields up to 71 ready-to-eat meals with a 1.5-year shelf life and no need for cooking or refrigeration.
• Qurbani is an Islamic obligation or highly confirmed Sunnah for Muslims who possess nisab, with meat distribution to the poor as a core requirement.
• The charity has run its Qurbani programme for over 35 years, distributing beef, lamb, mutton, and goat meat to vulnerable families worldwide.
• Halima and her four children in Gedaref, Sudan, represent the millions of conflict-displaced families for whom Eid al-Adha is a matter of survival, not celebration.