“The horrifying scenes in Khartoum will forever haunt me.”

livus OP , 1 year ago

From the article:

Since April 15, different states in Sudan have been impacted by fighting, and limited access to health care and essential resources. This has drastically affected the lives of millions of people, leading to massive displacement and an influx of refugees seeking safety in neighboring countries.

Sudan hosts one of the largest numbers of refugees in Africa, according to UNHCR. About 61 percent of refugees live in informal settlements, host communities, and urban areas, while 39 percent reside in camps, particularly in eastern Sudan and White Nile state in the south, where Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is providing medical and emergency support.

For Ethiopian refugees like Salim* and Qamar*, who had already escaped violence in their homeland, their journey from Khartoum to east Sudan with their four children was fraught with risks.

"Our entry point to Sudan in November 2020 was the refugee reception center in Hamadayet, on the Sudanese-Ethiopian border,” said Qamar. “From there, we were transferred to Um Rakuba refugee camp. Although we tried to adapt to life in the camp, our circumstances became worse when our tent burned down, destroying all our food and our children's clothes. Consequently, we made the decision to leave the camp and travel to Khartoum. I took my children and accompanied my husband to begin his heart disease treatment journey."

After fleeing violence in Tigray, Ethiopia, the family did not anticipate being caught in another wave of violence when the current conflict in Sudan erupted in April.

Salim recalls the details of how he and his family escaped from Khartoum, an overwhelming and extremely distressing experience.

“The battle took place on the street directly opposite our house, with bombs raining down on the surrounding homes. The air was filled with the deafening noise of warplanes and explosions,” said Salim. “My children hid under the bed. It was disheartening to think that I had fled my own country due to war, only to face the possibility of death in the country where we had sought refuge.”