It’s almost two years since war broke out in Sudan. The conflict continues and intensifies, forcing people to flee, seeking safety in neighbouring countries.
Over one million people have fled to start new lives in South Sudan. Many arriving in South Sudan are from the Darfur region, which has seen some of the most brutal fighting.
Some of those arriving are refugees, Sudanese nationals, some are returnees, South Sudanese nationals who were living in Sudan. Some returnees will end up in a community if they have connections, such as relatives or historic links. The refugees are mostly hosted in camps, such as Wedweil Refugee Settlement.
It’s 10 months since my previous visit to South Sudan. In that time, Wedweil has grown from 8,000 to over 20,000 residents. And new arrivals come every day. In the week of my visit, 5000 people were being transferred in from Malakal.
People in Sudan are in crisis. We cannot allow them to be forgotten.
The family flee
Amani and Rashed left their home in Nyala City in September 2023, with their five children. Intense fighting came to their doorstep within weeks of the outbreak of the war, and they witnessed the destruction of neighbouring homes.
When armed men came to the door looking for Rashed, a retired army office, Amani knew they were in danger. They left that day and headed to South Sudan. The journey was tough, but eventually they arrived at Wedweil.
When [we] arrived here, we felt safe. We left our relatives behind and everything, but we thank God.
‘It is safe, no weapons sound… you [can] walk at night’ – Rashed (on Wedweil)
Amani started a small restaurant in the market at Wedweil Refugee Settlement, with the cash assistance from Christian Aid. It fast became the trusted place for NGO staff to eat, and she was able to support the family and rent a farm plot.
A setback for refugee families
But the tensions of war can bubble over.
In mid-January, a video was posted online seeming to show Sudanese forces killing unarmed, South Sudanese civilians in Sudan. Violent retaliatory attacks on Sudanese people took place in towns across South Sudan. Wedweil did not escape. A group attacked the refugee camp, looting the stalls and burning the market to the ground.
Retaliatory attacks like this make no sense, hurting those who are already vulnerable, but the consequences are huge. 400 refugee families were supporting themselves through the market, and those livelihoods were destroyed.
Amani's farm plot was also trampled, and her crops were destroyed.
Image credits and information
Amani’s place rises
On Friday afternoon, Amani shows us the ashes of the market. All that remains of her thriving business are the posts that supported the roof. It’s a sad sight, so different from the bustle I saw when I visited in 2024.
Despite this devastating blow, on Monday morning, we’re greeted by our colleagues excitedly telling us they have just eaten at Amani’s place. Just ten days after losing her business, she’s started again. Amani demonstrates again her incredible resilience. Using the pots she had at home for cooking for the family, and a UNHCR tarp, she has set up a stall under a tree in a different part of the camp. Amani’s daughters are helping to serve food and wash dishes.
Not only has Amani started trading again, but she and Rashed are trying a new dinner offer. Other residents of the camp have recently started fishing in the river near the farm plot. From 6pm, when Amani goes home to feed her own children, Rashed takes over and cooks fried fish.
Image credits and information
Under the tree, NGO staff and Wedweil residents eat fried goat and drink tea together. A group of men are playing cards, some are snoozing on mats on the ground. Despite the awful events of the week before, the atmosphere is peaceful and convivial. Amani’s place provides an important social space, where people meet and relax. Everyone in camp seems to know her, and people walk by to greet her on their way to and from their homes. Some women walk by with the catch of the day, to ask if she wants to buy some fish.
The only downside of the new site is the absence of a roof. The falcons in the tree above are very interested in the food. Every so often they swoop down, causing everyone to shriek with surprise, and laugh at the unsuspecting victim. Amani attempts to divert them with some bones, thrown a little way from the stall. It distracts them for a couple of minutes at best.
Christian Aid has been operating in the Sudan and the current South Sudan since the 1970s. In 2008, we opened our field office in Juba, South Sudan.
From plastic to bricks
Since my last visit to Wedweil, camp management has begun to turn temporary plastic structures into brick houses.
Each household has a 20 metre by 20 metre plot. Amani and Rashed’s house has been converted. Around their home they have placed fencing made from woven grasses. One corner is planted with vegetables. Their neighbours have done similar. The stark, uniform rows of plastic structures have transformed into what looks more like a village. It feels more permanent, more homely.
The future
Since my previous visit, capacity at the local schools has been expanded. Some of the children from the camp have been attending school. My visit is during the school holidays, but the start of term is imminent. The violence on 17 January, however, has affected how some residents feel about sending their children to school. They say they want to keep their children close. These families have been through so much before they arrived here. I've heard so many stories, from when they were in Sudan, of people going out and never returning, it is hardly surprising.
Amani tells us how important to her the children’s education is. She wants them to go to school.
She tells us that if the new food stall does well, she’ll be able to buy seeds to replant the farm. All the signs are good, the stall is busy! She hopes to generate enough income to replace the chairs, plates, cups and cooking utensils that were lost.
For her next business venture, Amani intends to buy a grinding mill, which she’ll charge people to use. She said they were close to being able to do this before the arson attack. This has set them back, but she is as determined as ever to build a livelihood and support the family. The recent events show how even with the sort of entrepreneurialism demonstrated by Amani, refugee families remain vulnerable to shocks.
