Mother and Children Stuck Between Two Wars: A Heartbreaking Tale

When the ravaging war in Sudan spilled into Sarah Williams' area in the nation's capital of Khartoum, she and her kids found themselves in the midst of the conflict.

Rounds ripped through their house, flames consumed structures, and electrical wires caused blasts.

She remembers, 'We were moving along the floor,' as she cradles her one-year-old child. 'It was complete pandemonium.'

Mrs. Williams, a 33-year-old mother of five, hails from South Sudan.

When civil war broke out in 2013, she had to escape, just two years after the country achieved independence from Sudan to establish itself as the globe’s youngest nation.

However, the excitement following independence quickly faded as a power dispute between President Salva Kiir and his vice president Riek Machar ignited a civil conflict. This strife led to approximately 400,000 deaths and caused around 2.5 million individuals to be displaced from their residences.

Mrs. Williams was part of that group. Upon reaching Khartoum, which at the time was a tranquil city, she started anew by becoming a domestic worker for an average-income household.

However, she had to move once more when combat broke out in the city in 2023 between troops supporting military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy at the time, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely recognized as Hemedti.

“The dispute initially erupted amongst them,” Ms. Williams states. “However, subsequently, they commenced killing South Sudanese as well, despite us not being involved in their conflict.”

Over the last two years, the strife in Sudan has resulted in over 150,000 deaths, displaced more than 12 million individuals, and left significant portions of Khartoum in ruins.

After her home was attacked, she gathered her possessions and made her way back to South Sudan.

Nevertheless, fighting has erupted once again in that region as well, with the United Nations (UN) cautioning that the 2018 peace accord between Kiir and Machar could be on the verge of falling apart.

Ms. Williams' journey has concluded, at least temporarily, in Renk. This former peaceful and dusty frontier town has transformed into a bustling transit point, teeming with refugees fleeing from Sudan as well as its southern neighbor.

Trapped in Renk for roughly five months, Ms. Williams wishes to go back to her home city of Nasir, located in Upper Nile State.

Nonetheless, it is not safe to visit Nasir — an essential port city situated along the Sobat River — since it has become a battleground area.

She warns The News Pulse, cradling her 4-year-old daughter and tenderly swaying with her 1-year-old son.

Her voice is steady, but her eyes are heavy - carrying the weight of war, loss, and uncertainty.

Government forces and the White Army — a militia aligned with Machar during the civil conflict — have frequently engaged in battles in Nasir, resulting in accounts of intense artillery fire, surprise attacks, and the relocation of local inhabitants.

Mrs. Williams hasn't received any news from her relatives in the town.

“I’m not sure where they went when the fighting began… or whether they’re still alive,” she says softly.

The conflict in South Sudan has resulted in many individuals, such as Ms. Williams, being stuck at the Renk Transit Centre. This facility is heavily overpopulated, housing over 9,000 people—three times its intended capacity.

Refugees receive a modest sum of money from assistance organizations to purchase food, yet this support covers their needs for just two weeks before they must manage without further help.

Sarah mentions that she and the other refugees were compelled to cut down trees in order to sell them as firewood, enabling them to earn money for purchasing food.

Ms. Williams remarks, "I would gather firewood and sell it to purchase flour, but there isn’t anything remaining in the woods anymore. There’s no timber for women to harvest and vend." This underscores the ecological damage inflicted by conflict.

The shelters made of corrugated sheets at the camp accommodate as many as 15 individuals per room. Some residents construct flimsy dwellings using branches, fabric scraps, and discarded bags. The severe overcrowding is exacerbating health issues, food shortages, and hopelessness.

Humanitarian organizations are working urgently to relocate families within South Sudan to areas deemed safer, where individuals can find “more robust community connections, familial support, economic prospects, and improved access to essential services,” according to Vijaya Souri from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Many people stand waiting under the blazing sun to get onto the metallic vessels headed for Malakal. This voyage along the River Nile lasts about two and a half days. Travelers either perch on top of their baggage or settle directly on the floor of the boat.

Included among them is Mary Deng, who fled from Wad Madani, intense battlefield within the Sudanese conflict .

When we crossed the border, this child was only one day old," she states. "There are 16 of us altogether. We had no money - but we had faith.

She holds tightly onto a stack of papers — her family's way out of Renk.

Healthcare facilities are pushed to their max capacity. The Joda border clinic – constructed with corrugated iron sheets – stands as the sole operational medical center in the region.

"A healthcare provider notes that more than 600 infants have come into this world since the conflict started,” she shares. “However, our operations are confined to daylight hours as we lack resources to support nighttime duties.”

A cholera epidemic was declared in Renk last October. It spread across most of South Sudan, including the capital Juba, resulting in over 450 fatalities .

Tatek Wondimu Mamecha, who serves as the WHO's emergency coordinator in South Sudan, cautions about escalating dangers.

"Although the cholera outbreak has been contained, we’re still not in the clear. Currently, cases of malaria are increasing, and as the rainy season approaches, this number is likely to soar," he explains to The News Pulse.

Mr Tatek adds that the ripple effects of global aid cuts by US President Donald Trump's administration are devastating.

Five of our collaborators either ceased their services entirely or cut down their activities by half.

Hospitals such as Renk Referral have experienced a significant loss of personnel, with nearly half of their workforce departing, which includes surgeons, obstetricians, and pediatricians. This has placed immense pressure on the medical professionals who remain.

Mr. Tatek mentions that the facility handles approximately 350 to 400 patients daily.

The refugee situation in Renk starkly highlights that tens of thousands of individuals are caught between two wars, as sections of South Sudan can no longer serve as a secure refuge for those escaping the two-year-long conflict in Sudan.

The situation has intensified in South Sudan since March, following Machar’s imposition of house arrest. This occurred after he was accused by Kiir's supporters of backing armed factions—an allegation his party refutes.

George Owino, who chairs an oversight committee established through the 2018 peace accord to help implement it, has cautioned that the recent conflicts "jeopardize the cornerstone of the pact."

He informs The News Pulse that the main issue is political figures still directing opposing forces instead of merging them into one cohesive national army.

Mr. Owino states that the connection between politics and military strength remains unbroken.

When leaders clash, it swiftly escalates to an armed conflict—precisely what the pact aimed to avoid.

The civil unrest that began in 2013 erupted following Kiir's dismissal of Machar from his role as vice-president, with Kiir alleging that Machar was planning a coup. In response, Machar countered by branding Kiir a "dictator."

Following the 2018 peace agreement that led to Machar’s reinstatement as vice-president, the ruinous civil war came to an end.

"Previously, there was greater communication within the presidency. This has decreased," states Mr. Owino.

So far, the African Union (AU) has been unsuccessful in reviving the peace process, whereas Uganda has sent troops to South Sudan with the aim of strengthening Kiir’s standing.

Machar's party asserts that the deployment compromises South Sudan's sovereignty as well as the 2018 peace agreement.

Uganda along with Kiir's administration support the deployment, stating it aligns with a longstanding security pact between their countries.

Nevertheless, the deployment shows how fragile Kiir's grip on power is, while fears grow that a full-scale civil war could resume.

And over the border in Sudan, the civil war persists unabated, as Gen Dagalo declared the establishment of an alternative government.

Despite losing control of Khartoum following intense combat, he has decided to proceed. Now, the city stands as a devastated ruin, marked by structures that have been shattered and charred.

Ms. Williams states that she does not plan to return to Khartoum and has resolved to reconstruct her life in her homeland, acknowledging that "the circumstances are difficult."

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