My life has completely turned upside down
Ristay and her family fled Khartoum when the conflict broke out. Ristay shares her experiences and explains her family's current food situation.
Ristay, 30, lives with her mother and 5 children in a displacement camp after fleeing Khartoum when the conflict broke out. A year on, Ristay is frustrated at not being able to support her family as she once did, and fears that what happened in Khartoum could happen again, putting her and her family in even more danger.
In her own words
“This has been the most difficult year ever, because I have seen so much since we left our beloved home in Khartoum. I had to leave my job because of the conflict.
We were forced to leave all our belongings and everything we had built during our lives just to survive being killed or exposed to any kind of danger. My life has changed in many ways since the conflict started because I am not able to help my family like I used to and somehow I feel that my life ended there.
We do not get enough food like we used to, we only have 2 meals a day, sometimes only 1. We get food aid from UNHCR, some supplies like flour, oil and lentils. It’s not enough, but we’re trying to survive until I can support my family again.
We eat lentils and there is Habesha (Ethiopian) food called shiro (chickpea stew) and we use the flour to make pie or kesra (Algerian flat bread). We also have a lot of problems because of the dirty water.
I feel lost and hopeless most of the time. My life has completely turned upside down, so I find it hard to accept this situation most of the time and I am working hard to change it.
I need a good job and a good life. I am worried about the situation in the country because I am afraid that what happened in Khartoum will happen again and I don’t have the courage to go through that pain again. I am also worried about my family and their safety.”
18 million people are acutely hungry
With the conflict now in its second year, 18 million people are acutely hungry, including 3.6 million children who are acutely malnourished, and famine is fast approaching for millions of people in Darfur, Kordofan, Aj Jazirah and Khartoum.
Sudan is home to the largest number of internally displaced people in the world, nearly 10 million. In total, some 12 million people have been forced to flee their homes within Sudan, with more than 2 million crossing borders into neighbouring countries, mainly Chad, South Sudan and Egypt.
Despite numerous operational challenges, Plan International continues to provide much-needed assistance to vulnerable people across the country, including food, water, non-food items, health care, education, protection services and psychosocial support.
Categories: Emergencies
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