My journey as a displaced child

As narrated by nine-year old Najwa

We are an eight-member family consisting of three sisters, two brothers, and our parents. Our current situation is challenging due to inadequate food, lack of educational facilities, and my father's inability to work due to an injury during the attack on our village.

We fled our village late one evening after an attack by armed forces. Our father was injured in the attack, and we were forced to leave abruptly, taking nothing with us. Tragically, four of our villagers lost their lives. The urgency and danger of the situation left us no choice but to abandon everything we had and run away.

The small children and my father travelled by donkey cart, while the rest of us made the journey by foot.  Life has been very challenging since our arrival. We are struggling with food shortage and I am deeply missing my schooling.

We eat Asida (local dish) and dry vegetables. We use to eat Asida, meat, vegetables, locally available food, etc. before the conflict started.

I miss my home, village and school the most. I had many friends over there, and it's difficult knowing that we all are now separated and scattered in different places. We manage to get two meals for most of the days, but there are days when we manage to get three meals.

My mother prepares the meals, with the rest of us assisting by washing utensils and food items. 

We led a happy and secure life before the conflict, we never had shortage food in our house. we used to go to school and play with our friends in the village. These days, I mainly stay at home with my family, though occasionally I go outside to play.

We have faced significant challenges, including my father's injury, the loss of our home, village, school and all our properties. Upon arriving in El Abbassiya, we struggled a lot to gain access to food due to insufficient funds and high market prices.

Initially, after reaching El Abbassiya, we used to collect these green leaves called Khodra, from the forest, dry it up in the sun and consume it as vegetable. Many of the people arrived from our village are staying like us only.

Currently my mother goes out to work at houses in the town to get money for our day-to-day meals. Additionally, we rely on the food distribution drive by World Vision, due to which we manage to eat three times a day, but the aid support remains for 10 to 15 days only. Our life completely changed, now we are struggle to get nutritious food, and also missing schooling.

My mother works to earn money for food, which she brings home in the evening to buy meals for the day. Children in our community struggle with accessing healthy food 3-times a day due to the ongoing economic constraints. I have seen my brothers, sisters and my self-losing the health due to lack of proper food 3 times a day. The major factor being that we don't have enough money to get food for 3-times a day, as my mother is the only working person in our family. And also our family needs to find money for my father's treatment.

During those times, it was difficult knowing that we won't have enough food for 3-times for all our family members. In our village the instances of people sleeping without having a proper meal is very rare. Any time such a situation happens, the other villagers come and provide for that family. We drink a lot of water and share whatever is available to eat and go to sleep early.

With the aid support from World Vision, we are able to have three meals a day with the grains, pulses and oil provided, which has greatly improved our situation. These days, we are all very grateful as my mother can use her daily wages to purchase additional vegetables, enhancing our overall well-being.

Through WV’s intervention, we get three good meals with some vegetables, even some days our mother gives us enough quantities also. We eat three meals (Asida) with vegetables. I like most, the Asida and Kisra with meat. Nutritious food always good for children for their growth. I share my food together with my siblings.

I support my mother to clean the food Items and clean the plates. But my mother cooks the food for us.  I support my mother to clean the food Items and clean the plates. But my mother cooks the food for us. Washing the food, vegetable and cooking pots.

I was a third-grade student at the primary school, but with all schools currently closed, I am now residing in a school in El Abbassiya. I am eager to continue my education, though I am uncertain when it will be possible to resume classes. I can restart my education. I wanted to be a doctor.

I like to have peace in my country so that I can go back to my village and continue my education.

The World Food Programme (WFP) and its partner organization World Vision together reached out to 14,616 most vulnerable beneficiaries with 353.018 MTS of food assistance to help the affected communities in El Abbassiya in the month of July 2024, providing monthly food rations, such as sorghum, lentils, oil and salt and ready to use food (Plumpy Doz) to the targeted community. Also registered 4300 New IDP’s reached in the localities and distributed two months ration covering July and August’24 with 103.843MTs of mixed commodities. Najwa’s family also part of this New IDP’s and the family also received the ready to use nutrition’s food under U5 children category.

This case study is part of a larger report. Please click here to check it.