In a corner of Gedaref camp, located in eastern Sudan near the Ethiopian border, temporary shelters stretch out in a patchwork of tarpaulins and makeshift structures. Amid the intense heat and scarce resources, Sawsan stands as a sign of hope. She has been displaced from Sennar since June, bringing her own children with her, along with nieces and nephews who lost their parents to Sudan’s ongoing conflict.

Sawsan’s story, told to mark International Women’s Day and its theme For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment. highlights how one woman’s courage can make an immeasurable difference in times of great hardship.

A family shattered by conflict

Sawsan’s ordeal began when heavy conflict forced her family to flee multiple times. “My sister’s children are with me. Their parents have passed away, and now the children have no one but me” she explains from Gedaref camp, recounting how she received the devastating news of her brother-in-law’s death via a social media post. “Their mother passed away a long time ago,” she adds. “My father and mother also passed away, so I’m the one caring for these children now.”

Sawsan’s own immediate family has not been spared: she has brothers and other relatives who remain unaccounted for. “I haven’t heard anything from my missing brothers, no phone calls, no updates,” she says. Sawsan’s experience is shared by countless others in Sudan, where conflict has seen families separated and displaced overnight.

Protecting children in crisis

As well as her 2 daughters and 3 sons, Sawsan has assumed responsibility for 4 children orphaned by the conflict, bringing the total number of children in her care to 9. Among these are her nieces and nephews, who lost their parents to the war. “They are 3 boys and 1 girl,” she explains. “He [their father] wasn’t with them when we fled. Their mother had already passed away, and now their father is gone too.”

Determined to offer stability, Sawsan focuses on providing shelter, food, and emotional support to the children in her care. Even as resources dwindle, her priority is ensuring each child feels secure amid the trauma of war and the camp’s harsh environment.

Community leadership and psychosocial support

Despite her own heavy burdens, Sawsan has become a de facto community leader and mediator in the camp. “Everyone here knows my name,” she says, explaining how residents seek her out for guidance. She mediates family disputes, advocates for basic needs, and encourages neighbours to look out for one another.

When Islamic Relief brought cubes, balls, and other toys into the camp, Sawsan helped take them to the children. “I went and spoke to those in charge,” she says. “Because I’m responsible for these kids, and they deserve something to brighten their days.”

War leaves invisible wounds that can be just as devastating as physical losses. This is why psychosocial programmes, such as those run by Islamic Relief, have become indispensable to many displaced people like Sawsan. These programmes offer counselling, group therapy, and recreational activities to help individuals process trauma and rebuild emotional resilience. “When I feel overwhelmed, my daughters notice,” she says. “Sometimes they tell me, ‘It’s okay, mum, we understand.’”

Sawsan actively participates in psychosocial support sessions. “I left home feeling frustrated but came back happy,” she says of one recent session. “Talking about my worries helped me feel lighter. Now, I encourage other women to come forward if they need to share their burdens.”

The importance of safe spaces for women

In the cramped conditions of the camp, women face heightened challenges. They bear the responsibility of childcare, manage emotional labour, and navigate resource shortages, all while grappling with their own trauma.

“Women here don’t have anyone to talk to about their worries,” Sawsan explains. “Sometimes, you just need a place where you can cry, let out the stress, and then move on.” Safe spaces and counselling sessions provide crucial outlets for emotional release, conflict resolution, and communal support. War leaves invisible wounds that can be just as devastating as physical losses. This is why psychosocial programmes, such as those run by Islamic Relief, have become indispensable to many displaced people like Sawsan. These programs offer counselling, group therapy, and recreational activities to help individuals process trauma and rebuild emotional resilience.”

Through psychosocial programmes and community support networks, women like Sawsan gain the tools they need to cope. “The sessions taught us that it’s okay to express our frustrations,” she says. “Some people might be too shy to come forward, but I encourage them to speak up if they’re hurting or anxious.”

Moreover, these safe spaces help women address the violence and tension that can arise in cramped conditions. “There’s more violence here,” she acknowledges. “But if you have a place to go, it can help de-escalate problems before they become worse.”

Hopes for the future

Through the hardships, Sawsan dreams of reuniting with her missing relatives and returning to her hometown. “I pray to God that this war ends,” she says. “I want to see who we’ve lost, who’s still there, and who is missing. I ask God to protect my brothers who are in the war.”

Sawasan also intends to care for her elderly grandmother. “She came to Gedaref briefly but found it too difficult here. I sent her some money so she could return to Al-Faw, a district of Al Qadarif. I hope to go back for her and make sure she’s safe.”

Despite the uncertainty, Sawsan’s faith in humanity shines. “People should unite, support each other, and help carry each other’s burdens,” she says. “We’ve come here to escape the fighting. We should help each other, not add to our troubles.”

A testament to women’s resolve

Sawsan’s experience underscores the resilience and strength that women often carry in conflict zones – nurturing children, building unity, and offering solace when life seems impossible. Her story exemplifies this International Women’s Day theme of Rights. Equality. Empowerment, not as abstract notions, but as vital lifelines that can sustain communities during their most terrifying moments.

In honouring Sawsan, we honour all women who refuse to let their hope be extinguished, even when tragedy looms large. Their determination to protect families and support neighbours becomes the backbone of societies fractured by violence and displacement.

Islamic Relief has worked in Sudan for 40 years, providing vital humanitarian assistance including hygiene, food and mental health support. As the conflict continues to devastate lives, your support is urgently needed. Please donate to our International Emergency and help us save lives and restore hope.

This Ramadan may represent a new dawn for Syria, a country that has recently undergone seismic changes, but its people continue to suffer amid one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Many people remain displaced and nearly 15 million people are in need of humanitarian support to survive.

Um Mohammed, 46, has been dependent on humanitarian assistance ever her husband passed away. She now lives in Tel Iskander camp, Idlib north-west Syria, with her 4 children.

“We are in a miserable state of poverty as we cannot afford medicine or even buy basic foodstuffs. We do not have a regular income that we can rely on.”

A different Ramadan

Life in Tel Iskander camp is tough. The camp regularly suffers with food shortages and a lack of job opportunities for its residents.

Um Mohammed’s 2 daughters have fortunately been able to secure work in a factory, so the family can afford to buy bread, but it is not enough to feed the family of 5.

Ramadan in the camp is different, Um Mohammed frequently misses how things used to be.

“I used to prepare a variety of foods for the iftar meal, and when my husband came home, he would bring along different drinks and sweets. We would all gather around one table with the family, and the atmosphere was filled with joy and happiness.

“But now, after my husband’s death, I live with my children in a tent.

“We used to gather daily with family and relatives, and I would prepare Eid sweets. Now, it’s just me and my children alone in the camp, and Ramadan lacks its usual spirit without visits and communal meals.”

A big help

In 2024, Islamic Relief delivered nearly 6,000 food packs in Syria, helping to make sure more than 33,500 families had enough food to eat during the holy month.

Um Mohammed and her family were grateful to receive a food package.

“It was a moment of great joy when we received the food assistance. The contents of the food basket are sufficient for the entire month of Ramadan, as it includes pulses, oils, ghee, sugar, and flour.”

Every year, Islamic Relief’s Ramadan food distribution supports vulnerable people like Um and her family around the world, helping them to feed their families during the holy month.

Donate today and help us to reach more people like Um Mohammed this Ramadan. Trust Allah. Give zakat.

Ramadan is the most significant and holy time of the Islamic calendar. A sacred month that marks a period of fasting, reflection and devotion to Allah. For Palestinians in Gaza in 2024, it was the most difficult Ramadan they had ever faced.

At this point in 2024, Gaza had suffered under more than 150 days of relentless Israeli attacks and siege, starvation and displacement.

Najoud and her 5 children were displaced from Jabalia camp in December 2023 after Israeli bombs struck their shelter, killing her husband.

Displaced far from home

Najoud fled to Deir al-Balah, where she and her children took refuge in Al-Manfaluti school. The family have suffered through health challenges ever since, worsening their situation. Najoud suffers with anaemia and a slipped disc, while also has undergone a hysterectomy in the past. One of her daughters, Aya, has ear infections which require surgical intervention.

The family’s financial situation was extremely precarious due to a lack of income and the collapse of the economy in Gaza. They lived in a tent shared with 3 other displaced families.

“Initially, we couldn’t provide the basic necessities of life because we had no money or anything. We had no clothes or kitchen supplies and suffered from a lack of food and water,” Najoud describes.

“Our only source of food was sometimes dry bread and a few canned goods, which were difficult to obtain due to high prices. Initially, we suffered from illnesses like constipation, difficulty digesting food, and diarrhoea due to the lack of vegetables and fruits.

“My children went to sleep hungry, and we had no clothes. Winter came, and it was cold.”

A change in approach

Islamic Relief has been helping Palestinian families in Gaza for nearly 30 years, and continued saving lives throughout this latest, terrible crisis. We adapted our usual Ramadan food distribution support programme: switching from our usual approach, providing family food parcels, to delivering more than 121,000 hot meals to approximately 75,000 people. We also worked with the World Food Programme to deliver an additional 300,000 hot meals every day through our emergency response.

Najoud was thankful for the support.

“They [Islamic Relief] provided us with a meal every day and helped us face the difficulties we encountered during the displacement. We received clothes and vegetable parcels from them, which diversified our diet and improved my children’s health, treating them from malnutrition.

“May God reward them for all they have provided for us, supporting us in every way with food, nutrition, vegetables, and psychological support. We hope that those in charge of this work will continue to provide us with these necessities.”

Since a ceasefire came into effect in January, families like Najoud’s are returning to their homes, but most are finding their houses and apartments – like the majority of buildings in Gaza – lie in ruins. The situation in the enclave remains catastrophic. Families on the brink of survival now face Ramadan grieving the loved ones they have lost and unsure where their next meal is coming from.

Islamic Relief food distributions this Ramadan will ease their hunger.  

With your support and in the name of Allah, we will make sure the most vulnerable have food during the holy month. Together, we will ease their suffering. Donate to our Ramadan Appeal now.