Sudan's displaced children speak: 'I miss my cat and books'

At least one million have been displaced by the war, UN children's agency says

Sisters Talia and Talien, who fled with their family from their home in Sudan's capital Khartoum, at a shelter in Giza, Egypt. Reuters

At least one million children have been displaced by the war in Sudan, the UN children's agency said on Thursday.

The grim milestone was reported as the war that broke out between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and army entered its third month.

Pictures drawn by some of the displaced children and shared by Unicef depict fear and sadness.

One child, Majd, recalled the moment that an armed attack killed her friends, Sarah and Asrar.

“They were waiting by the gate for the car to take them out of Khartoum when a shell fell nearby, and the fragments went into their bodies,” she said during a psychosocial session by Unicef and partners.

“They both died on the way, they couldn’t find an emergency ward.”

While Majd appeared sad, she smiled back upon seeing the colours and paper. Without thinking twice, she quickly picked up a coloured pen and started drawing. Her drawing showed a soldier brandishing a weapon, with its barrel carrying a flower.

She would later explain what her drawing meant – “No bullets. One rose for each child”

“I miss my cat and books,” Majd said.

Unicef's representative in Sudan Mandeep O’Brien warned of further risk for the displaced children.

“The future of Sudan is at stake, and we cannot accept the continued loss and suffering of its children,” he said.

“Children are trapped in an unrelenting nightmare, bearing the heaviest burden of a violent crisis they had no hand in creating – caught in the crossfire, injured, abused, displaced and subjected to disease and malnutrition.”

He reiterated calls for better humanitarian access in Sudan.

The National previously reported that the World Food Programme had reached less than five per cent of the recipients its aid is intended for in Khartoum, one of the regions most heavily affected by the war.

At least 270,000 children are displaced in Darfur, Unicef said.

The situation in Darfur has been unrelenting. The governor of West Darfur was killed by suspected RSF forces hours after speaking about “genocide” during a televised interview.

On Thursday, the US criticised the RSF for suspected acts of sexual violence.

“The United States condemns in the strongest terms the ongoing human rights violations and abuses and horrific violence in Sudan, especially reports of widespread sexual violence and killings based on ethnicity in West Darfur by the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

“The atrocities occurring today in West Darfur and other areas are an ominous reminder of the horrific events that led the United States to determine in 2004 that genocide had been committed in Darfur.”

Up to 1,100 civilians have been killed in West Darfur's capital El Geneina, Mr Miller said, while the healthcare system has completely collapsed and all hospitals are out of service, local doctors' committees have said.

“While the atrocities taking place in Darfur are primarily attributable to the RSF and affiliated militia, both sides have been responsible for abuses,” Mr Miller said.