“Bringing Awareness to the Forgotten War in Sudan: A Personal Account”

“My parents came to the Netherlands in 2000 and I was born here almost a year later. We have Sudanese ancestry. As you may have noticed, a war has been going on there since April 15th. It breaks my heart that I see my country being destroyed so much and that there is little attention for it in the Western media. That is why I try to do my best to create as much awareness as possible.

Sudan is a forgotten country. Not many people know the area and what is going on. I feel like the country is slowly going under. I would like to be a voice for the people of Sudan who are fleeing and suffering because of the war.

I still have family there. Some of them are still in the capital, where the situation is the worst. At first we couldn’t reach them because it wasn’t possible to call Sudan from abroad. In the end, we managed to get in touch with them via via.

The contact with my family was really heartbreaking. For example, they told on the phone that they didn’t have enough to eat and were getting maybe one meal a day. Fortunately, things are a bit better now and they have found a safer place. They also have food now, but the conditions they have to live in are still inhumane.

The rest of my family has fled, mainly to the north of the country. It is a bit safer there than in the capital. The fact that they had to leave their hometown with all the memories behind breaks my heart. That is why I am committed to generating attention for this, especially since they cannot do it themselves.

The war in Sudan brings a lot of emotions to me. It causes anger and sadness. I feel hopeless and would love to go there to help people, but of course I can’t. That hurts me and makes me feel powerless.

If people want to help, they can create awareness by sharing as much as possible about the war in Sudan. They can also donate money or give attention to demonstrations that are organized here.

And perhaps most importantly, ask your Sudanese friends, acquaintances, neighbors and colleagues how they are doing. We are going through a difficult period and your support can be just that little push for us to stay strong and not give up.”

– Rania (22)