For Fatha and 40,000 others fleeing Sudan, the place called home is no more
As fighting continued to escalate in Sudan between rival factions of the military government, thousands of people, the majority women and children, have been forced to flee to neighboring countries. It is the sight of children
The United Nations High Commission on Refugees and the International Organization for Migration estimate that over 40,000 people, mostly South Sudanese returnees and Sudanese refugees, have fled to South Sudan. Among the Sudanese refugees who entered through the Kiir Adem border point in the town of Awiel in South Sudan's northern Bhar-El-Gal State is Fatha Mohammed, 33.
Fatha a mother of 6 fled to the border with her four children. Her other two children have gone missing since 26 April 2023. One of her children, that is missing, was injured on the head when the shelling happened in their town.
"When the shells (from explosives) started raining down on our home in Genina, my daughter looked for a place to hide, but she fell and hit her head on a stone. My other daughter ran away when the firing started. I also have not seen her since," she sadly notes. Fatha decided to leave to keep her other children safe. Her husband stayed in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.
My heart breaks every time I see my children hungry. We do not have food. We have no place to stay. We also do not have clean water to drink.
According to Fatha, she is worried for her children, and life has been extremely difficult for her and her children as they are now living as refugees. "My heart breaks every time I see my children hungry. We do not have food. We have no place to stay. We also do not have clean water to drink," she lamented.
Fatha’s family lived happily before the conflict erupted. Both Fatha and her husband were engaged in business enough to provide for their children’s needs. At the camp, the situation of Fatha’s children like many other are heartbreaking. Tired, hungry, afraid, pained, and hopeless faces of mothers and children.
"We need help to make our lives more bearable." Most Sudanese refugees and South Sudanese returnees living along the border now rely on humanitarian aid, especially the provision of food and water. "I wake up every day telling myself that this is a temporary situation and things will get better soon. I hope so," said Fatha.
This is just one among the many stories from the refugees. Every day hundreds of refugees make their way here in search of a safe environment for their children as they hope for the conflict to end soon to return home.
World Vision South Sudan is on ground and has been working with other agencies to assess the needs of the refugees, South Sudanese returnees, and host communities. Our emergency interventions are focusing on providing food, shelter, livelihood, water, sanitation and hygiene, nutrition, and protection, especially for children, mothers, and people with disabilities.
Story and photos by Deng Madit, World Vision South Sudan Food Assistance Programme monitoring and evaluation officer