“It is the war that forced us to come here”, says Alia a mother of two, who fled with her family to a camp for internally displaced people (IDP) in southern Sudan. “We arrived on April 22, 2023 and up to now, we are going through hardship. The hardship includes war itself because we lost a lot of things. We lost some of our children and our houses.”
Uprooted by conflict
Alia is one of the millions of Sudanese people who have been displaced since the start of the war, which has been labelled the world’s largest displacement crisis. “We lack everything … because we lost all things in Khartoum [the capital of Sudan],” Alia says, holding one of her children.
The camp where Alia and her family are staying is home to tens of thousands. All have fled the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces. But this situation isn’t limited to Sudan. A displacement crisis is occurring across the continent. Though the actors, setting and persecution narrative that often drives displacement in parts of sub-Saharan Africa differ, the conclusion is much the same.
“As we speak now, we are really hungry. We need food … All these children here, they are all hungry. Since the establishment of this camp, there has never been adequate food,” Alia explains. Listening to the hungry cries of children while your own belly rumbles is torturous. These difficult moments make believers like Alia consider actions that might bring short term relief. “Sometimes the food on the farms around here tempt us, and if the farmer would find you, it would be an added challenge,” Alia admits.
A need for food is not the only hardship faced in IDP camps. Sickness is widespread, reveals Alia “There are many diseases, we fall sick, we need medicine to cure us and our children. We have so many challenges and pray that what I say, God will hear and see my tears due to this situation and war.”
Looking around at the dry and desolate area, agony hanging thick in the air and in the eyes of those who mill around, it’s understandable why many Sudanese Christians that have fled the war feel that the global church has abandoned them.
Holding on to hope
Like so many parents in IDP camps, Alia wants a better life for her children. She wants them to go to school, to be productive and good citizens, live peaceable lives and freely worship God. Spiritual fortification is particularly important for Alia because it’s how she’s surviving day to day.
“Without patience one would not endure, but we thank God we are still alive,” Alia says. “We are enduring and we have put God first to help us. We have not forgotten about God because He is with us always, day and night.”
For Alia, praying is sustenance. “In Romans 10:10 it says everything that you ask God, He will provide it for you,” she says. “And that is what we always talk about. I am still crying out, on behalf of my brethren. We pray that God will bring us peace. May God bring peace and console those who lost their loved ones.”
Christians are seen as second- or third-class citizens in Sudan. The war has only magnified their marginalisation and suffering. Many have not been able to flee warzones, simply because they have no financial means to do so. They have no option but to remain in the cities, towns or villages where they have tried to carve out a livelihood. They either become easy targets for the two warring parties or risk the chance of being blamed as collaborators of either side. Christians who have fled, like Alia, have no support in the IDP camps. They are marginalized when relief is being handed out and become even more vulnerable to abuse. Yet, even in the midst of intense suffering, Alia has a deep-rooted confidence and faith in the Lord.
We believe that God is the one who moves people from place to place.
“We haven’t stopped asking and praying to God,” Alia says. “And we know the challenges are heavy. I don’t have much and I couldn’t have been able to say much without God. Without God, we will do nothing. Without God, human beings will not be able to move from one place to another. We believe that God is the one who moves people from place to place. We’ve put everything to God, the Creator of heaven and earth. We are hopeful that God will bring blessings.”
