In brief
The devastating wars in Sudan and South Sudan have displaced millions, leaving people trapped in dangerous conditions without viable paths to safety or survival.
When armed conflict ravaged Khartoum, Sarah Williams and her five children found themselves fleeing once again. Originally from South Sudan, Sarah fled civil strife in her home country only to confront violence anew in Sudan as rival military factions waged war. The chaos left their lives in ruins, compelling her to return to South Sudan, where yet another conflict is brewing.Sarah’s narrative is heartbreakingly common among the thousands displaced by the tragedies at home and across borders. With burgeoning hostilities in both nations, she recalls the harrowing moments when gunfire and explosions engulfed her neighborhood, forcing her into the streets with her children. "Chaos engulfed us; we crawled on the ground," Sarah shares as she clutches her one-year-old son tightly. A mother of five, Sarah had initially sought refuge in Khartoum after fleeing South Sudan's civil war in 2013, a bloody aftermath of its struggle for independence from Sudan. However, her new sanctuary soon transformed into a battlefield involving factions led by military generals Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.The conflict in Sudan has left over 150,000 dead and displaced more than 12 million people. Desperate, Sarah attempted to return to her hometown of Nasir in Upper Nile State, only to find it engulfed in its own military skirmishes, with a peace agreement on the brink of collapse. "There's conflict ahead," she states somberly, aware of the uncertainty that lies ahead for her and her children.Stranded at the overcrowded Renk Transit Centre, Sarah and others face dire living conditions—in facilities designed for fewer than 3,000 but currently housing over 9,000 refugees. Here, basic necessities are scarce, and many resort to selling firewood to make ends meet. "There’s nothing left in the forests. What can we sell now?" she questions, highlighting the war's environmental toll.As aid agencies scramble to support those displaced, reports emerge of a growing cholera epidemic and the risks of malaria, threatening both health and survival in the camp. Compounding these struggles are exacerbated medical service shortages, further straining the already tenuous healthcare infrastructure. "We operate only during the day now; we cannot afford night shifts," laments a health worker at the Joda border clinic, which has witnessed over 600 births since the onset of the war. With limited resources, the clinic struggles against both disease and disappointment, while more refugees wait for a chance to move onward to Malakal in search of safety.Even with the looming threat of another civil war, Sarah and countless others remain resolute in their hope for a normal existence. Yet, the intertwining conflicts in Sudan and South Sudan serve as a grim reminder of the challenges they face—enduring hardships on both sides of the border. As tensions flare, humanitarian agencies continue to push for urgent responses amid ongoing upheavals, emphasizing the necessity for lasting peace and support in both nations.
