A powerful eyewitness report from Sudan

Warning: graphic account

Friend, I have to share this personal account from my Save the Children colleague in Sudan. Umran*, whose name has been changed for his safety, fled El Fasher last month when fighting quickly escalated. He walked for two days to find safety in Tawila, witnessing unimaginable loss along his journey. As a member of the Save the Children community, your support helps team members like Umran deliver lifesaving relief to kids in the toughest places to grow up — from Sudan to Ukraine to Gaza and beyond. A warning: Umran’s firsthand account contains graphic details of violence and crisis that may be triggering to some. Please bear witness to his words only if it’s safe for you to do so.  Thank you for putting children first, Janti Soeripto President & CEO  Save the Children ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Umran*, 52, has worked in Sudan for 10 years supporting Save the Children’s program in El Fasher and in Zamzam camp, where families have been living in famine conditions since August 2024. When fighting engulfed El Fasher last month, Umran witnessed unimaginable scenes of violence and loss. After the city fell, he walked for two days without stopping—out of fear of an ambush—together with other families and their children who managed to escape. He has now joined a team of Save the Children staff supporting families fleeing El Fasher to Tawila.  Port Sudan, Sudan November, 2025 By Umran* In the days before El Fasher fell, the city was vulnerable and exposed to attacks by armed groups. Dead bodies lay on the streets, and there was a severe shortage of food, water and medicine, which made life in the city very difficult. Many people wanted to flee, but the roads were dangerous. Everyone waited for a chance to escape, hoping things might somehow improve. But that moment never came. When the fighting finally erupted, it was as if the sky itself was falling. People realized they had to flee — it was chaotic and horrific. Artillery fire, gunshots and shelling were extremely intense, leaving people terrified. I saw many people being killed in the streets, including women and children, struck down by random gunfire and stray bullets. There were children running alone, most likely separated from families. In this situation, no one was able to offer support because everyone was running away from the artillery coming from all directions, along with drones attacking from above. As humanitarian workers, our instinct is always to protect and to help. But in those moments, no one could offer support to anyone. We were all running for our lives, trying to stay ahead of the shelling and drone strikes. The most I could do was urge families to stay away from dangerous areas, such as open streets during the bombings. There was no other opportunity to do more. Now that I have left, I think the image of people lying dead on the streets for days, with no one to bury them and dogs wandering around their bodies, will stay with me forever. I want people around the world, especially those with a sense of humanity, to pay attention to what is happening in El Fasher. It is a massacre. Armed men are using power against civilians, killing people without mercy and even sharing videos of their crimes on social media. Families are being starved, and children are growing up surrounded by violence and fear. To world leaders and humanitarian actors, I say this: laying siege to cities, starving communities and killing civilians without accountability are crimes against our shared conscience. The people of Sudan deserve safety, dignity and peace. Civilians need a safe passage and unhindered humanitarian access now. Time has run out. They cannot wait any longer. Thank you for reading our story. If you have time, please take a minute to learn what Save the Children is doing to help in Sudan here: https://www.savethechildren.org/us/where-we-work/sudan      Privacy Policy | Contact | Unsubscribe   © 2025 Save the Children Federation, Inc. 501 Kings Highway East, Suite 400 Fairfield, CT 06825 1-800-728-3843 *Names changed for protection