Missing a part of me
For 16-year-old *Mary from South Sudan’s West Bahr al Ghazal state, it seems like a lifetime since she received any information about her family's wellbeing. The recurring armed conflict forced her family to flee. Gripped by fear and anxiety, *Mary and her family, along with other community members, attempted to find a place of safety. In the midst of the commotion and crowd, Mary got separated from her family.
"Since leaving my home, I don’t know what has happened to my family. The separation from my family has been the worst experience of my life. I had to learn how to cope being alone without my parents. There were times I went hungry because I didn’t have access to food and other basic needs," says *Mary.
Overcoming a multitude of challenges *Mary found her way to a refugee’s camp located in Sudan’s East Darfur state at the border with South Sudan. At the camp, World Vision facilitated *Mary’s referral to the Commission of Refugees (COR), a government institution managing the reunification process for unaccompanied children. Through this facilitation, Mary was able to find one of her relatives who volunteered to host her.
World Vision’s protection interventions include coordination mechanisms with Commission of Refugees ( COR) to protect refugees from harm and abuse. Regular meetings are organised to discuss and implement protective measures for refugees from all harm and abuse.
In East Darfur, with support from UNHCR, World Vision provides unaccompanied and separated children with life-saving assistance such as food and hygiene supplies. The project also enables children to report any types of violence they may experience. Protection monitoring meetings with community leaders and individual refugees address concerns regarding the lack of basic amenities like food, health services, hygiene, and sanitation.
In April 2024, World Vision’s protection intervention, funded by UNHCR, supported 28 unaccompanied and separated children (14 girls and 14 boys), some of whom are orphans, with critical protection needs and life-saving food assistance that included millets, lentils, food oil, and more.
"I am grateful for this food assistance we receive despite the ongoing conflict," says *Mary.
*Mary hopes that someday she will find the part of her that is missing—her family—and resume her education.
*Name changed to protect identity.