Aziza Abrahim, a 23-year-old mother, fled the horrors of war in Sudan only to face relentless hunger in Chad.
Cradling her infant daughter under a makeshift shelter, Abrahim’s story is echoed by thousands fleeing conflict and starvation.
“We have nothing to eat because of the war,” she said, recounting the devastation that uprooted her life and family.
Since war erupted in Sudan in April 2023, millions have been displaced, with hunger becoming as lethal as the violence itself.
Crops have been abandoned, markets emptied, and food prices have skyrocketed, leaving over half of Sudan’s population at risk of acute hunger.
Aid organizations struggle to access those most in need, with warring factions blocking routes and delaying assistance.
“People are starving to death … It’s man-made,” said Jan Egeland of the Norwegian Refugee Council.
The tragedy extends into refugee camps in Chad, where malnourished children succumb to disease and inadequate resources.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported the deaths of several children from malnutrition in just one displacement site this year.
In Chad’s arid camps, over 700,000 refugees now compete for limited food aid.
The World Food Program has reduced rations due to funding shortages, warning that new arrivals may strain the fragile system further.
Mothers like Awatif Adam describe their children’s relentless hunger and the agony of leaving everything behind.
“My children were always crying for food,” she said, her voice heavy with grief.
As violence intensifies in Sudan, the prospects for peace or relief seem distant.
The war’s human toll grows daily, with victims left to navigate an unrelenting cycle of violence and deprivation.
“If this continues, the situation will spiral out of control,” warned Dr. Oula Dramane Ouattara, an MSF physician.
For refugees like Abrahim, survival remains an unyielding battle against hunger, hope slipping further away with each passing day.
