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A story of sudden displacement: Sudan’s war through the eyes of a child
Illustration series depicts the horrors of conflict from the perspective of a Sudanese girl forced to flee home with her family
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Fatima, 11, lived with her family in a small village in Al-Jazirah State, Sudan, when the violence started.
An average of one child every 10 seconds has been forced to flee their homes since the conflict began in Sudan two years ago, according to new analysis from Save the Children.
To mark this devastating milestone the charity commissioned Sudanese illustrator, Shiroug Idris, to tell the story of one of these children to highlight the impact of war on their lives.
Shiroug herself was forced to flee her home in Khartoum and is now living in Kassala in Eastern Sudan. She travelled to Gedaref with Save the Children to see their work first-hand and ran a drawing workshop with children to tell their own stories of the conflict.
“As someone who was forced to flee this terrible conflict, it is heartbreaking to witness what these children are going through. Millions have been displaced, forced from their homes, and robbed of the childhood every child deserves,” Shiroug said.
Credit: Shiroug Idris
Source: Save the Children
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Fatima was asleep when a bullet went through her window. She could also see missiles in the sky.
Credit: Shiroug Idris
Source: Save the Children
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Fatima’s family had to flee their home and, by morning, they had walked through three villages on foot.
Credit: Shiroug Idris
Source: Save the Children
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As they walked through each village, people kept pointing at dead bodies on the ground and saying: “They killed this one, they killed that one.”
Credit: Shiroug Idris
Source: Save the Children
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“I was scared that we would be killed, but my mum reassured me”
Credit: Shiroug Idris
Source: Save the Children
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Fatima and her family faced violence, extortion and hardship before finally reaching Gedaref.
Credit: Shiroug Idris
Source: Save the Children
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Once they arrived at the displacement camp they were given food, blankets mattresses and clothes, including pyjamas and slippers by Save The Children.
Credit: Shiroug Idris
Source: Save the Children
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Fatima now goes to school and loves to play in our child friendly space. “Here, there are no soldiers, no gunfire, nothing bad”
Credit: Shiroug Idris
Source: Save the Children
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Fatima still misses her home and hopes to return one day.
Credit: Shiroug Idris
Source: Save the Children
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But Fatima added: “To the other children who went through the same thing, I’d say: ‘Don’t be afraid; we will go back home, just like others have’.”
Credit: Shiroug Idris
Source: Save the Children