War-struck children in Sudan tell of harrowing violence
By Linda Bordoni
The epicentre of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces is currently in the north Darfur region, with fighting intensifying over the past 12 months and spiking in April when the Zamzam refugee camp was viciously attacked.
Bearing the brunt of the violence are over 260,000 children displaced from Zamzam between April and May 2025.
They witnessed killings and dead bodies in the streets, they saw rapes and lootings and young people being arrested or killed. More than half of the girls suffered sexual violence as they fled the besieged camp.
Currently sheltered at Tawila camp, located approximately 60 kilometres southeast of Zamzam, the children have been interviewed by Save the Children operators, who have drawn up a recently released report entitled “Children caught in conflict.”
Some of the children spoke about how their mothers died during the journey to Tawila, while others said they lost a brother or their fathers.
Some recounted supporting elderly relatives travelling long distances on donkeys, with others saying they were forced to leave behind exhausted family members under threat of violence. Scores of them have lost contact with friends and loved ones, and expressed fear, grief, and a profound sense of uncertainty about their futures.
Harrowing stories
Twice displaced, 12-year-old Salma told of how her grandfather died during the journey due to exhaustion and lack of care. Tahha, who is also 12, was separated from his family when the camp came under attack and still doesn’t even know if they are still alive.
All of the children cited poor living conditions, including sleeping on the ground, extreme heat, food shortages, and the presence of armed individuals, as sources of distress.
Francesco Lanino, Deputy Country Director of Programmes and Operations for Save the Children in Sudan, appealed to the international community to redouble efforts to demand a ceasefire in Sudan, to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access and a drastic scale-up of humanitarian assistance.
“Children in North Darfur," he said, "have been to hell and back. Their rights have been completely ignored in Sudan. We are incredibly concerned for these children’s futures and for the future of Sudan, if this conflict doesn’t end now.”
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