The conflict in Sudan that broke out in April has forced more than 5.4 million people from their homes. While the majority are displaced within Sudan, over 1.1 million have fled to neighboring countries like Chad, South Sudan, and Central African Republic (CAR).
From the front lines in Khartoum and El Geneina to the refugee camps of South Sudan and the deserts of Chad, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams are caring for Sudan’s displaced wherever we find them. Along the Chad-Sudan border, our teams set up an inflatable hospital to accommodate large numbers of refugees fleeing El Geneina, South Darfur—an epicenter in the conflict—and to bolster the capacity of Adré hospital. In CAR, we vaccinated thousands of children upon arrival in anticipation of the disease outbreaks that often accompany the rainy season. In South Sudan, we’re assisting returnees struggling to access care in the very country they originally fled. And within Sudan, we’re operating in emergency rooms in hospitals and running clinics in camps like Um Rakuba.
Along the way, we have heard remarkable stories from people hailing from all corners of Sudan—including our own Sudanese colleagues. They share stories of targeted ethnic and gender-based violence; of people being displaced over and over again; and, above all, perseverance under some of the most extreme conditions imaginable. These are their stories, in their own words.
* Names changed to protect anonymity.
