South Sudan: “If they didn't find money, they killed people in their homes”

Among those who have crossed the border, close to 353,000 have fled to South Sudan. This includes more than 295,000 South Sudanese returnees and 50,000 Sudanese refugees.  

The majority have reached Renk in the northeast of the country, but many are also coming through two border crossing points from Darfur into Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, in the north-west of South Sudan.   

Insecurity continues in Wedweil camp

Around 9,000 people, according to UNHCR, are currently living in a refugee settlement near a town called Wedweil, where MSF opened a health clinic in June as part of its emergency response. The MSF clinic provides care for everyone in the area: refugees, returnees and the existing residents of Wedweil. Between June and September, MSF carried out over 10,400 consultations in this clinic. 

We also trucked in more than 900,000 litres of water to the camp and drilled a borehole to ensure that people can have an adequate water supply. However, there are many gaps remaining, not least of which are the dire sanitation and hygiene conditions in the camp. With the number of people in the camp expected to expand to 20,000 over the coming months, sanitation and hygiene need to be urgently addressed to protect people from potential outbreaks of infectious disease.  

“The conflict in Sudan is intensifying the existing humanitarian needs in South Sudan,” explains Mamman Mustapha, MSF head of mission in South Sudan. “People in Northern Bahr El Ghazal already face a multitude of issues, including food insecurity, limited access to clean water and limited access to healthcare. Recent floods and droughts have led to crops failing and animals dying. The number of people receiving food rations in the state has been cut by 50 per cent, and at the same time food prices have been going up, which has reduced people’s ability to buy what they need.”  

One impact of this has been a deterioriation in children’s health. Since the beginning of the year MSF has seen a drastic increase in the number of acutely malnourished children coming to our hospital in Aweil. Between January and September 2023, 1,015 patients were admitted for treatment for severe malnutrition – a 70 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2022.  

“We are very concerned for the health and wellbeing of refugees and returnees who reach Wedweil – and they are arriving at a time when the situation is already dire. What is more, in Wedweil refugee settlement, people are receiving just 70 per cent of the food rations that they need. This is not enough, and there is a possibility that the consequences of this will be seen in the coming months, when more children will likely begin to suffer from malnutrition. To prevent this from happening, far greater international support is required to provide refugees, and the rest of the people in South Sudan, with the essential assistance they need to survive,” adds Mamman.  

Many of the Sudanese refugees who have made it to Wedweil faced harrowing journeys to reach safety. They witnessed the brutal killing of their friends and family, attacks and robberies by armed men, and experienced many days of thirst and hunger. Now, they have to adapt to living with little food and few job opportunities. Many refugees say that they have little hope for their future or the future of their children. Here, some of MSF’s patients share their stories.  

A month-long journey

Musa Abakar Juma, 33, and Alima Adushafa, 26, are from Nyala in South Darfur. They are married and have four children. Back in Nyala, Musa used to work in a restaurant. When the violence in Sudan erupted, Alima was shot by armed men. All their property was taken, so on 18 June they decided to flee. On their way to Wedweil they slept on the roadside or in the forest. They collected rainwater to drink and they did not have enough food.

During their dangerous journey, they were also attacked and beaten. When they finally reached the border, they were given food, shelter, money and water from some non-governmental organisations. In total, it took them a month to reach Wedweil. In the camp they say that they finally feel safe, but that they still face many problems: there is not enough food, there is no chance of work, and there is no school for their children, so they feel they are looking towards a very insecure future.

A dramatic change of plans

Fisal Ibriahim Silman, 23 years old, is originally from Khartoum. She studied to become a nurse, but when the violence started in Sudan all her plans changed dramatically. On 12 May her husband was killed and she had to flee. She left with her mother and her sister, and they witnessed heavy fighting on the way. Men attempted to rape her sister, and when her sister tried to escape, they shot her. Together with her mother, Fisal finally arrived in Wedweil where she says they feel safe, but with the heat, life is almost unbearable and they feel there is no chance for a job or a future.

“They took everything"

Elmoataz Mohamed, 46, and Sittam Eftieb Safah, 35, are from Nyala. They are married and Sittam is pregnant with their first child. Elmoataz used to work at the university in Nyala, but that was before their hometown become a battlefield. When they went to the market, they were attacked, and the city as a whole became a lawless zone. 

“Anybody could come and kill you,” said Elmoataz. “There were no rules, no government, people were killed. They took everything.” When they reached the border, they said they got no support at all. It took them 23 days to reach Wedweil. Now, they feel safe, but there is still not enough food. 

No future without education

Ahmed Ibrahm, 39, and Leymona Ahmed, 27, are from El Geneina in West Darfur. They are married and have five children. In their hometown, Ahmed was a businessman and was selling clothes – but then the violence erupted and fighting broke out very close to their home. The child of a neighbour was shot in the head, and many other people were killed – even some of their relatives. So they decided to leave, and ran for their lives with their five children. 

They slept by the side of the road and were attacked by armed groups on the way. When they finally reached the border they were provided with food and water, but there was no medical support. It took them a month to reach Wedweil. Although they have access to water, food and also medical care, there is no school for their children, which is a big problem for the family because they fear that there will be no future for their children without a proper education.