Stories

20 years on, Darfur is once again on fire and a theatre of mass atrocities. Traumatised, shocked, and suffering the most horrific repercussions from the war, Sudanese refugees who manage to flee embark on risky journeys, often walking for days before reaching the Chadian border.

In the Rusayo IDP camp, located at the foot of the Nyiragongo volcano in North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, lives Salomé (alias), 37 years old, a mother of 11 children and a survivor of sexual violence by an unidentified armed group, while fleeing hostilities in Masisi territory.

Al Houri camp, located in Gedaref, eastern Sudan, has become a refuge for those fleeing the ongoing conflict. Among them is Ashraf, 48, who was forced to leave his home in Sennar when clashes erupted last July.

As the harsh Ukrainian winter approaches, their owners face a stark challenge: how to protect themselves and their damaged homes from the bitter cold and the dangers it brings.

Before the ground dried and hardened, Amburo and her husband were farmers. They grew enough maize to sell at the local market, and to provide for their 4 children. Life was hard, but a life all the same. There were times of joy.

They were injured in the Syrian conflict, caught in the earthquake in Türkiye, or were affected by different diseases. What these experiences have in common is that all their lives have been fundamentally distorted, and they have gone on to live as people with disabilities.

Families in Gaza are stuck in a dramatic situation where regular markets have collapsed, while the available food and goods are scarce, with prices skyrocketing. The massive destruction of infrastructure has heavily impacted Gaza’s farms, normally a source of sustenance for the locals.

Mahassin Mohammed Ibrahim was cooking a meal for her family in the Sudanese city of El Fasher when her front door swung open, and a hand grenade clattered to the ground. The ensuing blast showered the room with shrapnel, leaving the 39-year-old bleeding on the floor.

Life in Lebanon has always been marked by resilience, but the challenges faced by its people today are unprecedented.

The Amazon is burning like never before. Unusual warm and dry weather, consequences of both global warming and El Niño phenomenon, have exposed Latin America to unprecedented wildfires.

In pictures, see how the World Food Programme (WFP), with funding from the European Union, help most affected families go through this hard time with cash transfers.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), some 330,713 people were internally displaced in Mali in May 2024. In the Timbuktu region, more than 5 out of 10 displaced people, including children, lack identification documents. This was the case for Deyloul’s 2 nephews.

Exactly 1,000 days ago, on 24 February 2022, Russia waged an all-out war on Ukraine. These days will forever be marked by the immeasurable suffering of the Ukrainian people but also by their outstanding resilience.

When the Alau dam in Nigeria’s Borno state burst its banks after incessant rains pounded the region in early September 2024, a disaster of apocalyptic proportions unfolded. The state capital, Maiduguri, was deluged in no time.

The viral disease mpox is spreading in Africa and has been declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization. We spoke to Matteo Nocci, who oversees medical programmes, to find out more about the current outbreak.

On 26 December 2004, apocalyptic scenes flickered across TV screens around the world: leveled coastlines, uprooted palm trees, and people desperately searching for their loved ones under the rubble of their destroyed homes.

In the Central African Republic (CAR), conflict, violence and trauma have impacted the lives of almost everyone. Coups, civil wars, inter-religious conflicts, and decades-long political and military instability have left their mark on the population.

On 26 May 2024, cyclone Remal made landfall in Bangladesh. It was the most devastating storm to strike Bangladesh in over a decade. Remal caused widespread damage, but it didn’t catch the local population unprepared.

Access to clean, safe water is a fundamental part of any effort toward providing a stable and healthy life for communities impacted by conflict and climate change.