KORSI REFUGEE CAMP, Sudan – At the age of ten, Samira fled her village as the Darfur civil war erupted in 2003. Two decades later, she stands in a cramped stall at Korsi camp, selling modest portions of rice and spices from an aluminium tray to earn enough to feed her family. The tray is her livelihood, but it is also a reminder of a life marked by repeated displacement. Since 2003, Samira has been forced to move seven times as conflict has spread across Sudan, each move stripping her of home, property, and stability. Today she relies on a monthly food ration that she describes as already meagre, supplementing it with the small earnings from her market stall.
What happened
Samira’s journey began in a village in Darfur when the 2003 conflict ignited. The fighting drove her family from their home, and they sought safety in neighboring regions as the war expanded. Over the next two decades, she experienced successive waves of displacement: first to a makeshift settlement in South Kordofan, then to a refugee site near the Blue Nile, followed by moves to camps in Chad, Ethiopia, and finally to Korsi camp in Sudan’s western region. Each relocation brought loss of shelter, farmland, and personal belongings. The exact circumstances of injuries or further losses were not detailed in the account, but the pattern of repeated flight is clear.
In Korsi, Samira now lives in a modest shelter alongside hundreds of other families. She receives a monthly food ration provided by humanitarian agencies, which she says is insufficient to cover her family’s needs. To bridge the gap, she sells small portions of rice and spices from an aluminium tray each morning, a practice that has become her primary source of income. The stall, though modest, represents a fragile attempt to regain a sense of agency after years of being a passive recipient of aid.
Why it matters
Samira’s experience is emblematic of one of the world’s largest and most protracted displacement crises. The 2003 Darfur war was the first chapter of a cascade of conflicts that have engulfed Sudan’s diverse regions. Subsequent wars in the Two Areas—South Kordofan and Blue Nile—along with the current war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that erupted in April 2023, have created successive waves of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Sudan now hosts more than 2.5 million IDPs and over 1.2 million refugees, many of whom, like Samira, have been displaced multiple times.
The compounding nature of repeated displacement leads to severe vulnerabilities. Education is frequently interrupted, health services become inaccessible, and livelihoods are destroyed. Samira’s reliance on inadequate food rations underscores broader funding shortfalls in humanitarian response plans for Sudan and neighboring host countries. Humanitarian agencies report that the current funding gap for Sudan’s humanitarian needs exceeds $3 billion, leaving many families dependent on rations that are often insufficient in quantity and quality.
Background and context
The roots of Sudan’s ongoing crisis trace back to the 2003 Darfur conflict, which began as an uprising by non‑Arab ethnic groups demanding greater political representation and resource allocation. The government’s response, involving Janjaweed militias, escalated into a full‑scale war that resulted in an estimated 300,000 deaths and over 2.5 million displaced persons. The conflict’s aftermath saw the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the north‑south civil war but left the western and southern regions vulnerable to continued instability.
In 2011, South Sudan seceded, leaving Sudan to grapple with the loss of oil revenues and heightened economic challenges. The CPA’s provisions for power‑sharing in the Two Areas were only partially implemented, leading to renewed fighting in South Kordofan and Blue Nile in 2012. Intermittent clashes, often fueled by ethnic tensions and competition over land and resources, have forced thousands of families to flee repeatedly.
The April 2023 clash between the SAF and the RSF marked a new phase of the conflict. What began as a power struggle over military integration and governance quickly escalated into a nationwide war. By early 2024, the fighting had spread to major cities, including Khartoum, causing mass displacement and a humanitarian catastrophe. The RSF, originally formed as a paramilitary force under the SAF, has been accused of widespread human rights violations, while the SAF has faced criticism for failing to protect civilians.
International responses have been hampered by limited funding and access constraints. The United Nations and NGOs have delivered food, medical supplies, and shelter, but logistical challenges and security risks have limited the reach of aid. The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that in 2024, it reached only 60 % of its planned beneficiaries in Sudan due to ongoing conflict and funding gaps.
What to watch next
The trajectory of Samira’s story—and that of millions of Sudanese—hinges on several key developments:
1. Humanitarian funding trends – Donors are expected to convene in early 2025 to review and replenish the humanitarian response. Observers will monitor whether the pledged contributions meet the $3 billion shortfall and whether funding is allocated to long‑term resilience programs rather than emergency relief alone.
2. Political negotiations – The SAF and RSF have held intermittent talks under regional mediation, most recently in Addis Ababa in November 2024. Any progress toward a ceasefire or power‑sharing agreement could alter displacement patterns and enable refugees to return home safely.
3. Regional spill‑overs – Neighboring countries such as Chad, Ethiopia, and South Sudan continue to host large Sudanese refugee populations. Shifts in those nations’ policies or security situations could affect the flow of new arrivals and the capacity of existing camps.
4. Climate and resource pressures – Sudan’s vulnerability to climate change, including desertification and water scarcity, could exacerbate competition over arable land, potentially fueling further conflict and displacement.
5. Legal accountability – The International Criminal Court (ICC) and other bodies continue to investigate alleged war crimes committed during the Darfur conflict and the recent SAF‑RSF war. Accountability outcomes may influence future governance and reconciliation efforts.
Conclusion
Samira’s life, defined by seven displacements since she was ten, illustrates the human cost of Sudan’s protracted conflicts. Her daily struggle to sell a modest tray of rice and spices in Korsi camp is both a testament to resilience and a stark reminder of the systemic failures that have left millions of Sudanese in limbo. The overlapping wars, humanitarian funding shortfalls, and regional instability have created a crisis that shows no signs of abating. As the international community watches for political breakthroughs, humanitarian funding replenishments, and regional security shifts, Samira’s story remains a powerful reminder that behind each statistic lies an individual’s relentless pursuit of peace and dignity.
Sources
– The Guardian International, “Samira’s story: the Sudanese refugee who has known no peace since she was 10,” August 18 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/aug/18/sudanese-refugee-samira-war-injury
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Story synopsis gathered from: Guardian International — source
