How UNHCR is providing hope to individuals forced to flee the conflict in Sudan

Over the past year, the people of Sudan and its displaced communities have been enduring violence, human rights abuses and displacement as clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continue to wreak havoc and cause immense suffering.

Since April 2023, more than 8.5 million people have been forcibly displaced due to fighting. Today, nearly 25 million people, including 14 million children, urgently need humanitarian assistance. Additionally, according to the World Food Programme, 25 million people across Sudan, South Sudan and Chad are facing food insecurity as a result of the ongoing war. 

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is working alongside governments, partners and other UN agencies to provide lifesaving aid—such as protection, shelter and core relief items—to refugees and internally displaced people impacted by the conflict. Meet some of the displaced people receiving support from UNHCR and hear about their harrowing journeys.

Razan

Once a promising young doctor in Khartoum, Razan now lives in a makeshift camp in northern Sudan due to conflict. “I woke up to the sound of shelling,” recalls Razan about the day fighting broke out in Khartoum. 

Before joining the more than 6.3 million people internally displaced by the war, she was working at a hospital and planning to further her studies in medicine at Sudan International University.

Before Razan and her brother Ibrahim fled their home, he was shot in the leg while trying to retrieve water. Thankfully, the injury was not life-threatening, but it did delay their escape. Nine days later, Ibrahim was healthy enough to make the dangerous journey to Wad Madani, where he received the medical care he desperately needed. From there, the siblings took another 2,000-kilometer bus trip to the northern city of Wadi Halfa.

Now, they're among the more than 8,000 displaced people in Wadi Halfa City Park, where  Razan has been a dedicated volunteer assisting other displaced people. She joined other volunteers working with UNHCR to identify and register newly arrived people and ensure they receive relief items such as blankets, plastic sheets, water canisters and solar lamps.

“Collaborating with UNHCR has given me a purpose; I am no longer [only] a recipient of aid. It has also kept me busy while I was spending days just waiting for a miracle and thinking about my life,” explains the young doctor. 

Angelina

The war in Sudan is forcing many people to flee for a second time in their lives. Many former South Sudanese refugees like Angelina and her family are returning to South Sudan due to the violence. 

Safe at Doro refugee camp, Angelina runs a small cafe selling tea, coffee, and food to refugees, host community members and humanitarian workers. She explains that her business helps supplement the humanitarian aid she receives from UNHCR and other organizations.

In the future, Angelina hopes for more support to enable her to become fully self-reliant. 

"If I could get more land and support to start farming, I would be able to better care for myself and my family," she explains.

Ahmed

Two months after hostilities broke out, 27-year-old Ahmed was forced to flee his home in West Darfur, Sudan, with his wife and two children.

“I tried to stay, but it was too dangerous,” he says. “If we had jobs and work here, we wouldn’t have to travel,” he adds, referring to himself and other refugees who have made dangerous journeys away from the region.

Ahmed’s family has found safety in neighboring Chad, where they are now sheltering at the Farchana refugee camp in Ouaddai province.

Thanks to the support of UNHCR and its partners, refugees like Ahmed and his family are receiving lifesaving protection, shelter and healthcare services.

Hawa

On a cold, rainy June morning, Hawa was preparing breakfast for her family when deadly fighting broke out in her hometown of Kurmuk in Sudan’s Blue Nile State. Intense gunfire and heavy shelling were so close to her home that she and her family immediately dropped everything and ran.

“We had to leave,” she says. “We did not have time to pack our clothes or even drink tea.”

Together with her ten children and 80-year-old mother, she embarked on a challenging three-hour journey to reach the border of Ethiopia. The family joined the more than 20,000 people, including returning refugees, who have been forced to flee to Ethiopia since the conflict in Sudan began. 

How to help…

As we mark one year of conflict in Sudan, the situation remains complex and volatile. Immediate humanitarian assistance is still critical for displaced individuals across the region. By becoming a monthly donor for USA for UNHCR, you can make a difference and help ensure these families receive lifesaving aid, protection and hope.