The Tragic Story of Naimat Ahmed: A Glimpse into the Human Cost of Sudan’s Civil War

Naimat’s Final Days: A Life Lost to War and Suffering

In the heart-wrenching story of 10-year-old Naimat Ahmed, we see the devastating consequences of Sudan’s ongoing civil war. Naimat, a young girl from the Masalit community in Darfur, survived unimaginable horrors before her life was tragically cut short. Her family endured brutal ethnic attacks, the death of her grandmother, and the wounding of her older sister. Together with her mother, Khadija Ishag Abdullah, and nine siblings, Naimat fled Sudan, navigating treacherous roads controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group notorious for ambushing, robbing, raping, and killing civilians. The road to safety in eastern Chad was littered with bodies, a grim testament to the violence they escaped.

Naimat’s family joined over 900,000 others who have fled Sudan since fighting erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese military and the RSF. More than 13 million Sudanese have been displaced, creating the world’s largest displacement crisis. In a makeshift refugee camp in Adré, Chad, Naimat’s family struggled with harsh living conditions, chronic hunger, and thirst. When Naimat fell ill in early August, her mother was away working to earn money for their survival. Upon returning, Khadija found her daughter unable to walk or talk, severely dehydrated, and weakened by days without food or water. Heavy rains delayed their journey to a clinic run by Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), where Naimat was diagnosed with diphtheria and a severe infection. Despite efforts to save her, Naimat died on August 5, 2023, just before sunset. She was buried later that evening in a simple grave near a grove of trees.

Naimat’s death reflects the broader tragedy unfolding in Sudan, where civilians are not only killed by bullets and bombs but also by starvation, disease, and dire living conditions. The International Rescue Committee estimates that at least 15,500 people have been killed in the conflict, though some reports suggest the death toll could be as high as 150,000. With infrastructure destroyed and access to healthcare limited, preventable illnesses and starvation are claiming countless lives. The world is witnessing a crisis of epic proportions, yet global attention remains diverted by other conflicts.

The Refugee Crisis: A Desperate Struggle for Survival in Chad

In Adré, Chad, Naimat’s family and 200,000 other Sudanese refugees are enduring unbearable conditions in makeshift camps. Aid agencies report severe malnutrition, chronic hunger, and a lack of clean water. The camps are overflowing with displaced people, many of whom arrived with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Health clinics are overwhelmed with severely malnourished children and patients suffering from malaria and other preventable illnesses.

Refugees in eastern Chad face a daily battle for survival, exacerbated by heavy rains that turn camps into muddy, inaccessible terrain. Naimat’s story is just one of many tragic accounts emerging from these camps. Families like hers are not only grieving the loss of loved ones but also struggling to secure basic necessities, such as food and shelter. The situation is further dire as international aid fails to meet the scale of the crisis.

The war in Sudan has ravaged trade routes, farms, and hospitals, leaving half of the country’s 50 million people facing the worst hunger crisis in decades. Famine was declared in North Darfur in August 2023, with warnings that nearly 222,000 Sudanese children could starve to death this year. Refugees fleeing Darfur now say that hunger, not violence, is the primary reason they left their homes.

The Roots of the Conflict: Ethnic Cleansing and Resource Wars

The war in Sudan is driven by a complex web of rival powers vying for influence and control over resources such as gold. The United Arab Emirates, a key U.S. ally, has armed and supported the RSF, while Iran and Russia have also provided weapons to the warring factions. The RSF, a paramilitary group backed by the Sudanese government, has been accused of perpetrating ethnic cleansing in Darfur, a region that suffered a genocide two decades ago.

Refugees in eastern Chad recount horrifying accounts of attacks by the RSF and Allied Arab militias targeting non-Arab communities, including the Masalit people. Jahwer Abdurahman, a 24-year-old refugee, described how armed men in RSF uniforms killed her grandmothers, shot her in the head, and left her for dead. She survived only to lose her husband, who was shot in a night ambush during their escape. Jahwer, pregnant at the time, was carried to safety in a wheelbarrow and later treated at a Doctors Without Borders clinic in Adré. A year later, she remains partially paralyzed and suffers from severe headaches and memory loss.

Rashida Ibrahim Adam, a 28-year-old refugee, shared her harrowing experience of being raped by an RSF soldier in June 2023. “You Masalit girls, you should give birth to our Arab babies,” he told her before raping her four times. Her story is one of many accounts of sexual violence reported by survivors. Yet, the RSF has denied all allegations of ethnic cleansing and war crimes.

Abdullah El Hadj Abdullah, an 18-year-old refugee, was shot in the thigh by RSF fighters during a looting spree in his neighborhood. His aunt carried him on her back for much of the journey to Chad, where his leg was amputated at a Doctors Without Borders clinic. Once a promising young footballer, Abdullah now waits for a prosthetic leg, finding solace in playing football video games on his phone.

Survivors Speak: Testimonies of Horrors and Resilience

The stories of Naimat, Jahwer, Rashida, and Abdullah are just a few among thousands of harrowing accounts from refugees fleeing Sudan. These testimonies paint a chilling picture of a war marked by ethnic cleansing, sexual violence, and indiscriminate killing. The RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces have both been accused of committing war crimes, including murder, rape, and ethnic cleansing.

Survivors in Chad are not only rebuilding their lives but also documenting the atrocities they endured. Lawyers who fled Darfur are gathering witness testimonies from fellow refugees, while health workers and doctors who escaped the violence are volunteering at makeshift clinics in Adré. At a crowded health post, doctors treat hundreds of patients each week for malnutrition, malaria, and other ailments. Many of these patients are children, like 8-year-old Naima Muteer Muhajar, who was shot by men in RSF uniforms during an attack on her village.

Despite the horrors they have endured, refugees in Chad are finding ways to cope and rebuild. Women are working informal jobs to earn money, while men gather for Friday prayers under trees.Children continue to play, and families share what little they have, showing remarkable resilience in the face of unimaginable suffering.

The World’s Invisible Crisis: A Lack of Global Response

The scale of the crisis in Sudan is staggering, yet it remains largely invisible to the global community. Preoccupied with conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, the world has turned a blind eye to the suffering of millions of Sudanese civilians. The United Nations warns that only a fraction of the funding needed to address the crisis has been made available.

U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello has urged the international community to take action, calling Sudan an “invisible crisis” rarely covered in global media. His plea comes as the situation continues to deteriorate, with no end to the violence in sight. Meanwhile, refugees in Chad are left to fend for themselves, relying on the kindness of neighbors and the limited resources of aid organizations.

Remembering Naimat: A Life Lost, but Not Forgotten

In the days following Naimat’s death, her family held a mourning ceremony, slaughtered a goat, and shared what little food they had with neighbors who came to pay their respects. Naimat was remembered as a playful and kind girl who loved laughing, wearing her mother’s shoes, and fetching water for her family. Her older sister, Fardous, recalled how Naimat would sleep beside her and always look for her mother in the morning. “She was so kind to me, always comforting me when I’m sad,” Khadija Ishag Abdullah said of her daughter. “Now she’s gone.”

Naimat’s story is a poignant reminder of the human cost of war and the fragility of life in conflict zones. Her death is not just a personal tragedy for her family but also a symptom of a larger crisis that demands urgent attention from the global community. As the world continues to grapple with competing crises, the people of Sudan and Chad cannot afford to wait. Their lives depend on it.