CHAD-SUDAN Border – Millions in Sudan have been torn from their homes by war. Fleeing violence and loss, many families seek refuge in neighboring Chad, where Christian aid groups like World Vision are providing critical support.
Our grueling journey into one of the world’s harshest deserts involved five flights, culminating in a rough landing on a dirt airstrip. The heat hits immediately, a reminder of the unforgiving environment.
CBN News joined a World Vision convoy at the southern edge of the Sahara to document what’s been described as the largest humanitarian crisis in the world today.
Aid workers here help refugees escaping Sudan’s brutal war between the country’s military and what’s known as The Rapid Support Forces or RSF.
Here, the faces of those displaced tell stories of unimaginable loss.
“I’ve been to a number of refugee situations around the world, this is one of the worst I’ve seen,” Margaret Schuler, vice president of World Vision, told CBN News.
For nearly two years, the conflict has displaced 14 million, with some fleeing to neighboring countries like Chad for safety. The estimates are that in the last 2 years, more than 700,000 Sudanese have crossed the border.
Chad is just one of several countries in the region that is providing shelter to hundreds of thousands of Sudanese.
At the border, UNHCR worker Mohammad Abahkar registers mostly women and children.
“When I talk with them, some of them tell me that their husbands were killed, some of the women say they were raped,” Abahkar related to CBN News. “They come with just a small sack that has their clothes. They don’t even have food to eat.”
CBN News met Mariam Ahmed Ishaq crossing the border on a donkey, her emotions a mix of relief and sorrow.
“I lost all my belongings, all my clothes, the furniture, the utensils,” Ishaq told CBN News. “They put fire to my house and destroyed everything.”
With more than 60,000 dead, the existing human toll is unimaginable suffering, like that of Maha, who escaped just before RSF troops surrounded her village.
“They raped girls in front of us,” Maha recounted to CBN News. “They killed people in front of our eyes. I didn’t think I would survive. The war has killed two of my brothers, one is missing, we don’t know where he is. We don’t even know if he’s alive or dead.”
The true damage is not just in numbers.
“The RSF came to our home and shot my husband in front of me,” Amman Abduraham, a Sudanese refugee who escaped, told CBN News at the border. “They looted everything then burned the house down. My husband survived, but it’s taking a while for him to heal.”
These stories of trauma, loss, and survival echo through the refugee camps. Women expressed to us overwhelming fear of not knowing the fate of loved ones.
“My husband is a cattle herder. He went to the market to sell cattle the day the fighting started. That was almost two years ago. I’ve not heard from him since. I don’t know if he’s dead or alive,” said Khadija Jabar Abakar, another Sudanese refugee.
Over 60% of Sudan’s population are desperately in need of help, including 16 million children.
A U.N. report states more than 200 children, some as young as one, have been raped in Sudan within the last year.
“This is an example of the fact that this is being used as a weapon of war in Sudan by all parties to the conflict and no woman or child is safe,” said Tess Ingram with UNICEF.
“We know that we are all created by God and these are brothers and sisters who are in pain, these are people who have not chosen to be in the conditions that they are in. It is our duty to take care of the weakest among us,” said Edouard Ngoy, who directs World Vision’s national office in Chad.
World Vision and other agencies serve meals to 70,000 young Sudanese refugees each day.
“This is a program we are implementing in partnership with the World Food Program and our team at World Vision are in charge of making sure that the children have cooked and hot meals on a daily basis,” said Ngoy.
CBN News arrived at a makeshift school as cooks prepared meals.
While the food is simple – rice, beans, and oil – for these children, it’s the difference between hunger and survival.
“This food we are giving them is better than what they are getting in the refugee camp,” Halima Oumar Ali, the refugee camp school’s head cook, told CBN News.
For many, like 15-year-old Ikrham Abdel Kerim, each meal is shared with family back home.
“I have 8 siblings younger than me, and they also need food,” Kerim told CBN News.
The school’s principal, himself a victim of the war, says this food program serves as a vital incentive for keeping children in class.
“This food support is super crucial,” said principal Abdul Rashid. “The children enjoy coming to school to study and because they get meals each day, no student wants to miss class, attendance is near-perfect, and this is good.”
Besides food, World Vision offers space inside refugee camps where children can find comfort and temporarily escape trauma.
Trying to get clean, safe, and reliable water here in the Sahara Desert is no easy feat. A couple of months ago, World Vision dug a borehole and is running about two miles of piping, transporting desperately needed water to the main hospital here in Farchana, Chad.
“It means everything, without that water at the clinic you have women coming to deliver their babies carrying a bucket of water themselves or not having enough water because they don’t have access,” said Schuler.
In Farchana, CBN News visited one of the only clinics in the area. It’s filled with mothers and babies, many battling malnutrition.
World Vision’s newly installed solar panels also provide electricity, ensuring that this lifeline stays open.
“For us getting access to water and electricity have been truly paramount,” Dr. Albachir Mahamat, who runs Farchana Health Center, told CBN News.
Despite overwhelming challenges, the strength and resilience of these families offer a glimmer of hope. For women like Khadija, each day is a struggle. Yet, the quiet love for their children and the hope of returning to Sudan one day keeps them going.
