Awad’s Story, South Sudan
For 15 gruelling days, he carried both his elderly mother and his daughter Zainab on his back.
Photo by UNHCR/B. Sokol/2012
When fighting erupted in Kormaganza, Blue Nile state, in September last year, 80-year-old Dawa Musa’s family decided to flee to the neighbouring village of Mafot. Dawa was too frail to make the two-day journey by foot, so her son, Awad Kutuk Tungud, hid her in the bush for three days while he moved his wife, Alahia, and nine children to safety. Awad returned for his mother and carried her to Mafot, where the family remained in relative safety for several months – until artillery began shelling the village.
Awad again fled with his family – this time across the border to South Sudan. For 15 gruelling days, he carried both his elderly mother and his daughter Zainab on his back, until they reached the border crossing at Al Fudj in February. UNHCR transported the family to Jamam refugee camp in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state. They lived in safety for seven months until heavy rains caused flooding, making it difficult for UNHCR to bring clean water to the camp and bringing the threat of highly contagious waterborne diseases.
UNHCR set up a new camp in Gendrassa, located 55 kilometres from Jamam and on higher ground, and began the relocation of 56,000 people to the new camp. Among them were Awad and his family. Awad carried his mother once again, but this time it was to their new tent in Gendrassa camp. Awad has plans to begin farming. “Come back in three months,” he said, “and there will be maize growing.”
See more images of Awad’s journey: https://www.flickr.com/photos/unhcr/sets/72157631558100120/
