SALMA AL-RASHID

 Sudan- On April 15, 2023, violent clashes erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan, resulting in the displacement of nearly eight million people, including internally displaced people, asylum seekers and refugees. According to reports, Six million Sudanese are displaced within Sudan, while 1.7 million more have fled across borders into neighboring South Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia, Egypt, the Central African Republic and Libya.

1,537 displaced people, including 500 women and 350 children have taken shelter in the dormitory complex camp for female students at Red Sea University, located in the city of Port Sudan. They suffer from difficult conditions in the complex. NuJINHA spoke to displaced women taking shelter in the camp.

‘359 families stay in the camp’

“This camp is the biggest camp in the Red Sea State,” said Rumah Musa Hassan, the camp supervisor. “About 359 families stay in the camp. The complex began to host the displaced people last year in August. Some of the displaced people taking shelter in the camp later fled to Comoros, Nigeria and Syria.”

‘Infectious diseases are spreading’

Speaking about the problems faced by displaced people in the camp, she said, “The lack of hygienic supplies cause the spread of infectious diseases in the camp. We have recorded many cases of cholera and deaths. Women suffer from anemia due to the lack of safe drinking water in the camp. The ongoing conflict has deteriorated the living conditions of displaced women, who have lost their livelihoods.”

‘Some women sleep on the ground’

Nour Abdel Latif is one of the displaced women in the camp from Khartoum. Speaking about the deteriorating living conditions in the camp, she said, “The humanitarian organizations led by UNICEF provided only three tents to the displaced people. The camp is overcrowded and three tents are insufficient. Many women live outside without a shelter. They sleep on the ground. Some local organizations gave them humanitarian aid boxes containing some basic supplies.”

She suffers from cancer

Zubaida Othman left her village, Jebel Aulia, in the north-central part of Sudan with her mother, grandmother and three children when they were told to evacuate the village. They first took shelter in the state of Al Jazira and then in a school in the city of Wad Madani. Before taking shelter in the camp at university, they stayed in the state of Sennar for several days. “When we reached Sennar, I felt very tired. I am a cancer patient and need treatment; however, the hospital in Sennar refused to treat me because I could not cover the expenses.”

Zubaida Othman has been suffering from cancer for five years. Due to the deteriorating living conditions in the camp, she cannot get chemotherapy regularly. “I have to take medications; however, they are very expensive.”

They had to leave their house

Zainab Al-Samani is one of the displaced women from the city of Nyala. Her house in Nyala was very close to a military outpost and it was destroyed in the clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). “We had to leave our city when our house was destroyed. Our neighbors and relatives were killed in the clashes that erupted between two parties. I decided to take my family to a safer place.”

Speaking about the living conditions in the camp, she said, “Due to poor hygiene, cholera is spreading in the camp. No precaution is taken to stop the spread of infectious diseases in the camp. Hospitals do not provide any support to displaced women. Women suffer from the lack of toilets, hygiene, medicine, food and health services. Humanitarian aid organizations and government agencies should provide support to women and children in the camp.”

‘I demand job opportunity’

The clashes that erupted in Khartoum last year in April spread fear among civilians and many left their homes to seek a safer place.  Mona Al-Ali is one of them. She left her home in Khartoum with her two children. “Our journey was not easy,” she said. “After a difficult journey, we arrived at the camp. Now, we suffer from the deteriorating living conditions in the camp. Now, I have no income to cover the expenses of my children. I demand job opportunities to cover our expenses.”

A woman named Maryam had to leave her home in Al Haj Yousif when clashes erupted between two forces. “We left our home to search for a safer and more stable place. I call on the authorities to provide education opportunities for children in the camp.”

‘I cannot sleep’

Children pay the heavy price of the war in Sudan. Maryam Ismail is one of them. “I cannot sleep because the camp is overcrowded. I still hear the sound of clashes. I had to walk for days to reach the camp. Then, we found a truck and came to the city of Port Sudan.”