“We were afraid to even fetch water” — A South Sudanese’ journey back to safety from Sudan

Since April 2023, the crisis in Sudan has forced thousands of families to flee violence. Amidst uncertainty, they seek safety across the border with little more than what they can carry. Among them is Angelina Mawien Deng, a South Sudanese and a mother of eight whose journey back to South Sudan reflects the reality faced by many. Her story is just one of countless others—families uprooted by conflict, returning home to rebuild their lives from nothing, and relying on community support and humanitarian assistance to begin again.

Angelina Mawien Deng, 32, sits quietly among a small gathering in her community in Aweil East. When approached for an interview, she shyly agrees. Asked how she is doing, she smiles with quiet pride and says, “I am doing well. My children are here with me, in Aweil.”

For Angelina, those words carry the weight of survival.

Originally from Aweil in South Sudan, Angelina and her family had built a life in Babanusa, Southern Kordofan, Sudan. Life there was once peaceful.

“Before, we were living peacefully in Kordofan,” she recalls.

But that peace did not last.

In early 2025, violent revenge attacks between Sudanese and South Sudanese nationals were triggered by reports of the deaths of South Sudanese residents in Wad Madani. The reports of these deaths led to protests and violence in Juba, reportedly targeting Sudanese nationals. 

In Angelina’s village, fear became part of everyday life. “The situation turned from bad to worse,” she says. 

“In front of the water yard, there were killings. We were scared to fetch water.”

Following reports of massacres in Wad Madani, the violence intensified, forcing families like Angelina’s into an impossible choice: stay and risk death, or flee into uncertainty.

In March 2025, Angelina chose to leave.

A dangerous journey home

With her eight children, Angelina joined 24 other families fleeing the violence. They crossed through the Darfur–Kiir border into South Sudan—a journey marked by hardship, fear, and exhaustion.

Yet amid the uncertainty, they found something they had not felt in months, living life in fear in Sudan: relief.

“As soon as we entered South Sudan, we were received well,” Angelina says.

The families leaned on each other to survive.

“We shared what little we had… food and other items… so we could all get through.”

Upon arrival in Aweil, the community did not turn them away. The village chief mobilised local residents to support the new arrivals, who contributed food and basic supplies to help them settle.

Angelina also found support from relatives in the area, easing the burden of starting over.

But the needs remained immense.

Recognising this, the village chief called for additional support. Soon after, humanitarian assistance reached Angelina and other returnee families.

Through World Vision’s intervention with support from the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO), Angelina’s family was registered and received multi-purpose cash assistance. The impact was immediate.

“We used the cash to buy plastic sheets for our temporary house,” she explains. For the first time since fleeing, her family had a place they could call shelter.

They also received seeds—sorghum and groundnuts—which Angelina planted in a small plot behind their home. For her, these seeds represent more than food; they are a promise of stability.

“I am looking forward to harvesting them,” she says.

The support went beyond meeting urgent needs, opening a path forward. With the cash assistance, Angelina was able to enroll two of her children in school.

“If it were not registered by World Vision, I do not know where my family and I would be now,” she says.

Hope moving forward

Today, Angelina is rebuilding her life, step by step, season by season. While challenges remain, she is filled with gratitude.

“We appreciate all the support we received,” she says.

Her hopes are simple but powerful: safety for her children, a successful harvest, and continued support for families starting over.

“I pray that God may continue to bring assistance through GFFO and World Vision so more families can be supported—not just us.”

For Angelina, one thing is certain, “We are back home now. No more Sudan. We will stay here.”

Angelina’s family is among more than 6,000 households—including returnees, internally displaced persons, and other vulnerable families—who received multi-purpose cash assistance through a project funded by the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO) and implemented by World Vision.

Beyond immediate relief, the project provides life-saving water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), health, and nutrition services, alongside strong child and adult safeguarding measures. Through emergency cash assistance, families like Angelina’s are not only meeting urgent needs but also rebuilding their lives with dignity, resilience, and renewed hope.

Story and photos by Diwa Aquino-Gacosta/World Vision South Sudan