South Sudan – When the bombs fell, and the sound of gunfire replaced the hum of daily life, thousands of South Sudanese families who had sought safety in Sudan found themselves on the run once again – this time heading back to a homeland they had once fled.
Among them was Aziza Tungwar, a mother of two from South Sudan’s Jonglei State. After losing her husband to illness during South Sudan’s civil war, Aziza moved to Sudan in search of safety and opportunity. She settled in the White Nile State, determined to raise her children in peace. But peace would not last.
“When the fighting started, we lived in fear every day,” she recalls. “We didn’t know if we’d survive. The food supply stopped, and curfews kept us inside. I just wanted my children to live.”
Aziza eventually managed to escape Sudan with her children. “When we reached Jebellen, I told them, ‘From here, never fear again, we are safe.”
Aziza’s journey home is just one of many stories of resilience and quiet courage shared by more than 1 million people who have fled the chaos in Sudan and returned to South Sudan. Their stories form the human face of one of the world’s largest displacement crises, triggered by the outbreak of conflict in Sudan in April 2023.
The Long Road Home
Kan Michael Yen, a 25-year-old from Akobo County, located approximately 450 kilometers northeast of Juba, the capital of South Sudan, had lived in Sudan for most of his life – 25 years – before the conflict forced him to flee.
Kan is hopeful that he will rebuild his life again in South Sudan. Photo: IOM 2024/Muse Mohammed
“One night, they came to my house and put me at gunpoint,” he said. “They wanted to recruit me. I pretended to agree, then escaped that same night.”
Kan made it back to South Sudan alone, hoping to reach Juba where he has relatives. “My father died, and I am the only one who can support my younger brother and our mother. Being back home is a relief. This is my home.”
Amani Tia Elias from South Kordofan shares a similar tale of escape through violence. “The forces looted everything. They left us with nothing. We fled with our children, traumatized by gunfire, not knowing what lay ahead.”
Her family finally made it to South Sudan with the help of humanitarian agencies. “When we arrived, there was peace. We were safe,” she said, her voice trembling. “My hope now is to find a job, send my children to school, and live a normal life again.”
Amani endured a harrowing experience escaping the fighting in Sudan. Photo: IOM 2024/Muse Mohammed
A Cycle of Conflict
For some, like Susan Joseph from Malakal, the war in Sudan was a painful déjà vu. “I had already fled South Sudan nine years ago, after witnessing the killing of two of my relatives,” she said. “I thought I would never see war again.”
Amani endured a harrowing experience escaping the fighting in Sudan. Photo: IOM 2024/Muse Mohammed
But when conflict erupted in Sudan, Susan once again found herself seeking refuge. “My home in Sudan is gone, burned to the ground. But at least here, there is safety. I thank God for that.”
Susan’s husband was killed during intercommunal violence in South Sudan’s protection camps in 2017. Since then, she’s raised her children alone. Despite the hardship and trauma, her determination remains firm: “I will struggle to survive here. I hope things will change for the better.”
Hope in the Midst of Hardship
In Bentiu, Kawai Kuol lives in a crowded displacement camp after escaping from Khartoum. “We passed through dangerous roads where soldiers would separate men from women. But the women refused to leave us. They said, ‘If you want to kill, kill us all.’ That solidarity saved our lives.”
Kuol has been living in displacement since he escaped the fighting in Sudan. Photo: IOM 2024/Muse Mohammed
Though Bentiu itself remains under strain – from instability to flooding – Kawai is trying to rebuild. “We came with nothing. My relatives are sharing what little they have. That is our culture. We survive together.”
With tears in his eyes, he adds, “God protected me. I survived two wars. Now I just want peace, to farm, to live.”
Looking Forward
South Sudan is grappling with its own challenges – flooding, economic strain, and political instability – but for those returning, the simple fact of being home brings deep emotional relief.
IOM and other humanitarian agencies continue to provide vital support to returnees: from food and medical care to critically needed transportation and protection. But resources are stretched, and the needs are immense.
Yet amidst it all, the resilience of the South Sudanese people shines through. Their stories are not only of pain and loss, but of strength, love, and hope.
“I just want to live in peace and raise my children,” Aziza says. “That’s all any of us want.”
And with peace, perhaps South Sudan can be not only a place of return – but a place of new beginnings.
This story is written by Kennedy Okoth, Communications Officer (Africa and Middle East).
