South Sudan: We’re at the Sudanese border providing support

As the Sudan crisis continues to escalate, the number of people seeking refuge in South Sudan is growing daily. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), along with other humanitarian agencies, is working tirelessly to support these refugees and South Sudanese refugees who are now returning to their homeland.

At the Joda reception site, where over 70,000 individuals have crossed the border, there is an urgent need for more food, better shelter and sanitation services, and transportation.

Our communications coordinator in South Sudan, Barbara Kemisa, went to the border with Sudan to collect accounts of survival and hope. These accounts tell us more about NRC's response to the unfolding humanitarian crisis.

One family’s struggle to survive

Wol Garang was forced to sell his phone to buy food for his children. Photo: Barbara Kemisa/NRC

Wol Garang, 32, just fled from Omdurman in Sudan. He arrived at the Joda reception centre with his wife and four children including their four-month-old baby.

After spending two days stranded at the reception centre, they were desperately awaiting transportation to the transit centre in Renk.

With little of his savings left, Wol had to sell his phone for just eight dollars to purchase food and juice for his hungry children. Once a successful building constructor in Sudan, the war has caused him to lose his home and his income.

"My family will now have to depend on humanitarian aid to survive, which is not enough for all of us," Wol laments.

Nobody should have to beg for food

Rebecca was forced to beg for a place for her family to sleep. Photo: Barbara Kemisa/NRC

Rebecca Deng, 35 left her home in Jebel Aulia Sudan, when the fighting started. She arrived in Joda with her elderly father, six children, and her husband’s other wife.

After a gruelling three-day journey from Sudan, they found themselves without shelter or food. Begging other families for somewhere to sleep, Rebecca expressed her deep concern for her children's safety under the scorching sun. Hunger had taken its toll on their well-being. They are surviving solely on water.

"We need food. The kids have been starving since we came here. We are calling upon NGOs to help us with food and shelter. We really need help," Rebecca pleads.

Pregnant and in distress

Sarah is worried for her children's lives. Photo: Barbara Kemisa/NRC

Sarah Nyala Tongyik is pregnant. Accompanied by her husband, Kong Biel, and their children, she embarked on a perilous journey to seek safety. With no access to food since their arrival in Joda, they are also relying solely on water.

Sarah's children fell ill when they arrived, but they have no money for medical care. Sarah is deeply concerned for her children’s lives.

"I brought my family sick and hungry. We need food," says Sarah.

NRC staff building a latrine at the Renk transit centre. Photo: Barbara Kemisa/NRC

NRC is providing support to refugees and South Sudanese returnees in Joda. With funding from the European Union, SIDA and NMFA, NRC and partners have established emergency latrines and bathrooms at the border town to address the pressing issue of sanitation and hygiene. By creating safe and clean facilities, NRC aims to mitigate the risk of hygiene-related diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea, which could further exacerbate the dire situation. We have also been distributing water and housing people in collective shelters.