Save the Children and its partners spoke to over 450 of these displaced children in Tawila for the assessment “Children Caught in Conflict”, with children describing traumatic journeys and expressing fear, grief, and a profound sense of uncertainty about their futures.
Hundreds of children have recounted harrowing stories of terror and loss after their homes in Sudan’s North Darfur region were attacked, with many telling Save the Children how they lost contact with friends and loved ones [1].
Violence is happening daily in North Darfur, the epicentre of Sudan’s two-year conflict, with fighting intensifying over the past 12 months and spiking in April this year when the Zamzam camp housing people forced from their homes was viciously attacked.
Nearly 500,000 people – including 260,000 children – were displaced from Zamzam camp between April and May, which amounts to 99% of the camp’s population. About 75% of the displaced people ended up in the Tawila camp [2], which is located around 60km southeast of Zamzam.
Save the Children and its partners spoke to over 450 of these displaced children in Tawila for the assessment “Children Caught in Conflict”, with children describing traumatic journeys and expressing fear, grief, and a profound sense of uncertainty about their futures.
Many children witnessed killings and dead bodies in the streets, with some reporting witnessing young people being arrested or killed, and more than half of the girls interviewed (53%) reported incidents of sexual violence during their journey out of Zamzam to Tawila.
Three children reported that their mothers died during the journey to Tawila, while four others said they lost a brother, and five reported the death of their fathers.
Some children recounted supporting elderly relatives travelling long distances on donkeys, with others saying they were forced to leave behind exhausted family members under threat of violence.
Salma*, 12, originally from El Fasher, was displaced twice — first to Zamzam, then to Tawila. She described witnessing rape, killings, and looting along the road. Her grandfather died during the journey due to exhaustion and lack of care. Upon arrival in Tawila, her family had no food or shelter and slept in the open.
Talha*, 12, was fetching water for his family when the Zamzam camp came under attack. He witnessed shootings, and widespread panic. He ran home to find his family but discovered the house empty. He searched the schools where people were hiding but couldn’t find them. Believing his family had fled to Tawila, Talha followed the crowds on foot. After arriving, he stayed with a host family for seven days before they too left, leaving him alone. Talha told the survey team his only wish is to return to El Fasher and reunite with his family — though he doesn’t know if they are still alive.
While some children said they feel relatively safe in Tawila, many — especially girls — expressed deep grief over the loss of family members and fear of ongoing violence.
Children cited poor living conditions, including sleeping on the ground, extreme heat, food shortages, and the presence of armed individuals, as sources of distress.
Girls reported high levels of fear and vulnerability, particularly when using toilets or traveling long distances for water. Many shared that friends were raped during displacement or in the camps. Both boys and girls acknowledged a rise in sexual violence, with girls aged 12–18 being the most affected. Boys were also aware of the abuse experienced by their sisters and peers.
Francesco Lanino, Deputy Country Director of Programmes and Operations for Save the Children in Sudan, said:
“Children in North Darfur have been to hell and back. They are grieving deeply, while contemplating uncertain futures. Many lost family members before and during their displacement, and don’t have adequate tools to process their experiences. Some children have described to our staff harrowing experiences of parting with older family members on the route, many of whom they haven’t seen since.
“Since the conflict began, children’s lives have been upended. They now wake to the sound of gunfire and shelling. Families dig trenches for protection, schools are closed, and access to healthcare is limited. Many children reported that their peers have joined armed groups or been forced into early marriage due to economic hardship.
“Children’s rights have been completely ignored in Sudan. They are being separated from their families, seeing loved ones killed or maimed, and have already missed years of critical education, with terrible consequences for their long-term well-being. We are incredibly concerned for these children’s futures – and the future of Sudan – if this conflict doesn’t end now.”
Save the Children is urging the international community to redouble efforts to demand a ceasefire in Sudan, to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access and a drastic scale-up of humanitarian assistance.
Save the Children has worked in Sudan since 1983 and is currently supporting children and their families across Sudan providing health, nutrition, education, child protection and food security and livelihoods support. Save the Children is also supporting refugees from Sudan in Egypt and South Sudan.
Since April 2025, Save the Children has been leading a major humanitarian response in North Darfur, addressing the urgent needs of displaced populations following mass displacement from Zamzam camp and El Fasher. With hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons across the region, Save the Children has scaled up operations in El Fasher, Tawila and Central Darfur, delivering life-saving services in health, nutrition, water and sanitation, protection, and shelter.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Save the Children.
