By Sharon Lukunka

Like thousands of other children in Darfur, 11-year-old Faiha Abdulgader and two of her siblings have spent all their lives in camps for internally displaced people (IDP). They were born in the Abu Shouk camp for displaced persons, located on the outskirts of El Fasher town in North Darfur. Her parents, along with innumerable other families, fled the Tawila area in North Darfur following the outbreak of the conflict in 2003.

Mohammed El Tayeb, 14, and Mahir Abdallah Ahmed, 13, students at the Al Salaam Primary School for Boys narrate a similar story. Mohammed and his family moved from Tawila to the Al Salam camp when he was just two years old, while Mahir, also accompanied by his family, arrived at the camp from Korma, North Darfur. Like most children caught in the epicenter of the conflict here, they have no recollection of the events leading to the displacement; their knowledge is based on the stories narrated by parents and elders. “My mother told me that there was a war going on so we had to leave our real home,” says Mohammed.

In their bid to escape from recurring violence in their villages, families and children are often exposed to great physical danger. Gunfire, shelling and unexploded ordnance pose direct threats, and they often have to walk across great distances for days on end with limited quantities of food and water. Children typically are the worst sufferers in such circumstances, often becoming acutely malnourished, prone to illnesses, and even death. Girls, especially, are also vulnerable to sexual abuse during displacement.

Most such displaced children live in IDP camps with limited amenities. Some others try to make a living on the streets by running errands such as washing cars and so forth. Existing in unsecured locations inevitably renders these children vulnerable to abductions, recruitment into armed movements, exploitation and abuse. Additionally, many displaced families lack the necessary funds to send their children to school.

In this context, UN agencies and other international and national organizations have made consistent efforts to help bring aid to the displaced community as well as ensure that children living in these camps have access to education. According to current statistics, in the Abu Shouk camp, for instance, there are 56 primary schools with more than 41,000 students and eight secondary schools with 6,500 enrolled students; these schools are supported by the Ministry of Education in terms of providing teachers.

During her visit to Sudan in 2013, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Ms. Valerie Amos, saw firsthand the humanitarian situation in Darfur. Ms. Amos urged more sustainable support for displaced populations, many of whom have been living in camps for a decade. While visiting the Zam Zam camp on the outskirts of El Fasher, the Under-Secretary General highlighted the plight of thousands of children born in IDP camps. “We cannot forget these children. They are the future of Darfur and of Sudan,” she averred.

On its part, the North Darfur Council for Child Welfare is primarily responsible for planning policies on child protection in coordination with the National Council for Strategic Planning. Ms. Khadija Abdulmajid, Director, Council of Child Welfare, says that organization works in partnership with local institutions, the UN and international and national agencies to address the needs of these children and their families.

Ms. Abdulmajid also reveals that the Council has established more than 20 centres which provide psychosocial support to community members, including children, affected by the ongoing conflict. These centres are located in different localities and displaced persons’ camps in North Darfur.

While the Government of Sudan, UNAMID and other relevant stakeholders are continuing their efforts to ameliorate the hardships faced by displaced Darfuris, the conflict-affected continue to eke out a meagre living, identifying sources of income, such as working in nearby farms or selling goods on the local market, to help support their families and send their children to school.

The children living in IDP camps, however, remain hopeful. Faiha, when asked what she would like to be after completing her education says she wants to be an engineer and aspires to rebuild the Abu Shouk camp, construct proper roads and install streetlights. Similarly, Mohammed says he would like to study medicine and help people in need. Others like them also speak of their professional aspirations once they grow up, despite the hardships they face on a daily basis.
 

20 November marks Universal Children's Day, as it is the day on which the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, in 1959, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in 1989. This day is an occasion to remember the children growing up in the midst of war across the world, and to reaffirm its commitment to stand up for their rights and take firm action.