World Refugee Day: Hope for 500 Sudan families 

The scale of Sudan’s crisis  

Two years into Sudan’s civil war, the conflict has escalated into the worst humanitarian crisis in recorded history.  

• 30 million (three in every five) people require urgent aid—the highest number of people in need ever recorded.  

• More than12 million people were forced to leave their homes—more than half of them children—making it the world’s largest displacement crisis.   

• 600,000 people are experiencing famine with another eight million rapidly approaching catastrophic hunger levels—the highest levels of emergency hunger recorded.  

In this unprecedented emergency, families need immediate relief—like food, clean water, medical treatment and safe shelter—as well as the long-term support people need to rebuild lives. 

A journey from displacement to hope 

For some families, the hope to rebuild their lives starts now.  

When parts of Al Jazirah State were declared safe, SOS Children’s Villages facilitated the return of 510 displaced people from Red Sea State. 

“Life in displacement was incredibly difficult,” said Limia Ahmed, Deputy National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Sudan. “Families had been living in temporary camps for over a year with their children at constant risk.” 

In these temporary shelters, families faced not only limited resources but overwhelming anxiety about their children’s futures. Many parents expressed a deep longing to return home, believing that reconnecting with their communities and land was essential for their children’s physical, emotional and future well-being. 

“The return journey was marked by both joy and reflection, and a step toward healing after enduring the trauma of displacement,” Ahmed said. “By helping these families return home safely, we are not only restoring their hope but also helping to keep families together—because in times of crisis, the presence of a parent is a child’s first and most important line of protection.”  

Supporting refugee families worldwide

 With global humanitarian and family-strengthening programs, we continue to help refugee families rebuild their lives—creating safe spaces where children can heal, providing critical support to families and building a foundation for families to thrive again. 

“For millions of others, returning home is not yet possible,” Ahmed said. “We must not forget them. The children of Sudan deserve more than survival—they deserve a future built on security, education and opportunity.” 

Learn more about our work in Sudan. 

As we honor the extraordinary courage and resilience of displaced people this World Refugee Day, these families returning home highlight that with proper support—from humanitarian organizations, governments and communities—families can rebuild and children can create a future where they can thrive. 

Every one of us has the opportunity to be part of this global, transformative support system that helped families like those in Sudan return home and rebuild. 

This World Refugee Day, will you join our worldwide support system by becoming an SOS Guardian? As an SOS Guardian, you’re joining a worldwide family of child advocates who shield children in crisis—providing the emergency relief and long-term aid they need to heal, recover and build a better future. 

Together, we ensure every child grows up safe, loved, healthy and educated—no matter where they live in the world.