A 30-year-old mother of five, Sarro Suliman, has shared her story of displacement, survival, and resilience after conflict forced her to flee her home in El Fasher, North Darfur, Sudan. Her experience highlights the human cost of ongoing violence and the struggle of families trying to rebuild their lives amid instability.
Before the conflict escalated in August 2025, Sarro lived with her husband and children in a stable home where her children attended school and their basic needs were met. However, the outbreak of violence changed her life dramatically, leaving her home damaged and her husband missing. Alone and pregnant, she was forced to flee with her children in search of safety.
The journey to Central Darfur was extremely dangerous and lasted 15 days, during which Sarro and her children faced insecurity, hunger, and a lack of access to medical care. Upon arrival in the UMD East area, she struggled to secure stable shelter and basic necessities for her family.
Life in displacement has been marked by hardship and economic insecurity. To support her children, Sarro now works as a daily labourer producing construction bricks, a physically demanding job she had never done before. Despite her efforts, limited income opportunities and lack of resources make it difficult to meet her family’s needs.
Support from the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), through ECHO-funded programmes, has provided critical assistance in her new community. Through community centres and protection services, Sarro received psychosocial support, hygiene kits, and cash assistance that helped her improve her shelter by building a fence and latrine, increasing safety and privacy for her family.
Beyond material aid, Sarro describes the psychosocial support sessions as essential for emotional recovery, offering her a space to share her experiences and regain strength during a difficult period. These sessions have also encouraged her to support other women facing similar challenges in displacement.
Despite ongoing uncertainty, Sarro remains focused on the future and hopes to reopen a small home-based business to support her children’s education and create a more stable livelihood. Her story reflects the broader realities faced by displaced families in Sudan, where conflict continues to disrupt lives and livelihoods while humanitarian support plays a critical role in survival and recovery.
