Heart-Wrenching Journeys: Survival Amidst Sudan's Civil War

In the midst of Sudan's devastating civil war, Alawia Babiker Ahmed endured the loss of her unborn child while evading air strikes and rescuing an orphaned infant. Her story and others highlight the ongoing tragedy and danger faced by families in the war-torn region of Darfur.

Aged just 19, Alawia Babiker Ahmed experienced a painful miscarriage while fleeing the brutal conflict engulfing Sudan's western Darfur region. "I was bleeding on the way," she recounted to the BBC, although she expressed awareness that many others were suffering even more than she was during her daunting three-day, 70km (45 miles) trek from the besieged city of el-Fasher to the small town of Tawila. Amid multiple air strikes and encounters with armed militias, Alawia's journey became even more harrowing when she stumbled upon an abandoned infant whose mother had died nearby. "We covered the mother and kept going," she solemnly stated as she took the child with her.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in a civil war, primarily between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has resulted in an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe with over 12 million individuals displaced. Darfur has emerged as a significant battleground, dominated by the RSF—except for el-Fasher, still under army control, which is currently facing relentless bombardment as the conflict escalates and fears mount of Sudan's potential partition.

As the situation deteriorated, Alawia and her family set off towards Tawila when violent shelling intensified around el-Fasher. Her brother, 21-year-old Marwan Mohamed Adam, shared how he experienced an assault from RSF-affiliated gang members, stating: "I was beaten on my neck, arm, and leg" and robbed of the scant belongings he carried. His life was narrowly spared when he lied about his origins to the attackers, who often executed young men confessing to being from el-Fasher.

In stark contrast to the aftermath of bombings, Khadija Ismail Ali recounted her family's tragedy: eleven relatives, including three young children, perished in the conflict, and the children succumbed to thirst during their four-day escape. They had fled their village, el-Tarkuniya, after RSF forces ravaged it, ultimately reaching Tawila.

Medical aid organization Alima reported severe malnutrition levels amongst children arriving in Tawila, highlighting the dire consequences of the conflict on vulnerable populations. Alawia noted that her sister had to abandon their meager food supply of leftover beans, essential to their survival during the desperate flight.

Their relentless search for water led them to an RSF-controlled area where they faced further aggression. "They took our last 20,000 Sudanese pounds ($33; £24) and our clothes," Alawia recalled. Despite pleading for water for the orphaned child, they were denied and subjected to further violence.

The family's journey culminated in Tawila, where exhaustion overtook Alawia, leading to her hospitalization. After receiving medical care, they were reunited with relatives of the rescued infant and are now sheltered by a local family. "Life is OK, thank God, but we worry about the future," Alawia reflected.

Marwan hopes to study abroad, a dream shared by countless other Sudanese whose lives have been irreparably altered by ongoing warfare that shows no signs of resolution. As the conflict proceeds, the stories of survival among immense suffering remain a critical reflection of the intertwined fate of millions.