A year of civil war in Sudan has torn apart families, displaced millions, and plunged the nation into a humanitarian crisis. Buthaina, a 38-year-old mother of six, fled her home in el-Fasher, Darfur, when food and water ran out. Like many others, she crossed the Sudan-Chad border into Adré with nothing but her children, leaving behind a once-stable life. “We just ran for our lives,” she recounts.
The civil war, which erupted in April 2023 between Sudan’s army (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has displaced millions, killed thousands, and pushed parts of the country toward famine. The conflict, rooted in power struggles over civilian rule, has devastated large regions like Darfur, where aid is blocked or stolen, leaving millions without support.
In Adré, refugee camps are filled with families like Buthaina’s, desperate for food, water, and shelter. Though aid convoys have started to pass through recently, many fear it may be too little, too late. Ethnic cleansing, rape, and torture are widespread, with the RSF and its allies accused of crimes against humanity.
As the international community’s attention remains divided, UN officials call for urgent action, warning that without increased support, Sudan’s catastrophe will worsen. For mothers like Buthaina, the hope of a future for their children fades each day. “What future?” she asks, “There is nothing left.”