Violence had reached Naima’s community in Darfur, Sudan. Staying was no longer possible. She fled towards Chad with her daughters and elderly mother. They had nothing but the clothes they were wearing and the donkey that carried them.
Behind them, their home had been attacked and destroyed. There was no clear path, no safety and no certainty. Only the hope that if they kept moving, they might survive.
‘When we arrived, we had nothing but our lives and our donkey.’
Today, Naima and her daughters are living in Zabout refugee camp in eastern Chad, in a shelter made from plastic sheeting and dry grass. Naima’s elderly mother, exhausted by the journey, died shortly after they reached Chad. Food is limited. Work is hard to find.
Still, they are trying to rebuild.
And even here – in the darkness, in the uncertainty – Jesus is present.
Since April 2023, conflict in Sudan has created a severe humanitarian crisis, displacing nearly 9 million people internally and forcing more than 4 million people to flee the country. As the crisis continues to escalate, refugees who have survived violent attacks are risking their lives every day by making treacherous journeys to cross the border into neighbouring Chad.
Like Naima, many people have arrived in Chad with little more than the clothes on their backs – and huge uncertainty over their future.
Through Tearfund and our local partner, Naima received help to start a small spice business so her family can support themselves and meet their daily needs.
Tearfund's life-saving assistance, made possible by our faithful supporters, meant Naima's family was one of 2,161 refugee households to benefit from the cash grant.
‘We pray that God will bless Tearfund and those who allow them to help us in our time of need,’ Naima says.
Crises like these do not end when the headlines move on. Families are still living through fear, hunger and displacement every day. But in the places the world no longer sees, Jesus is still present. And you can help today.
Jesus calls us to go where love leads and reach families still facing crises that have been forgotten by the world.
If you have any questions that haven’t been answered here, please email [email protected] or contact our lovely Supporter Care Team on 020 3906 3906.
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