"Darfur once commanded the world's attention. Today, despite the extraordinary scale of suffering, the crisis receives only a fraction of the international attention it deserves."
Millions of people have been displaced, communities have lost access to basic services, and families are struggling every day to meet their most basic needs.
Recently, I visited Darfur to spend time with communities, colleagues, and partners living and working through this crisis every day. What struck me most was the combination of hardship and resilience. Despite displacement, insecurity, and uncertainty, people spoke about solidarity, about neighbours helping neighbours, and communities coming together to support the most vulnerable.
What struck me most during these conversations was the combination of hardship and resilience.
One of the first places I visited was the Arida Health Facility, one of the few places where families can access basic health services in the area. I saw mothers waiting patiently outside with their children, some having travelled for hours in search of care. Health workers described the enormous pressure they are under, yet every day they continue to provide care and support families who have nowhere else to go.
Outside the clinic, I met a mother who had brought her child for treatment. She told me she had walked for several hours to reach the facility. When I asked why she had made such a difficult journey, she gave a simple but powerful answer:
When your child is sick, you cannot wait. You must go where there is help.
That moment stayed with me. It captured the determination of parents doing everything they can to protect and care for their children, despite overwhelming challenges.
A camp for displaced people in North Darfur where Save the Children supports children who have been displaced. Hamid Abdulsalam
Another highlight of the visit was spending time with children and adolescents in Tawila. Despite the disruption and uncertainty, they have experienced, many still speak about their dreams and aspirations. Their determination was a powerful reminder that hope continues to exist, even in the most difficult circumstances.
A particularly important part of the visit was meeting our teams in Darfur. Many are working in extremely challenging conditions. Some have themselves experienced displacement, yet they continue showing up every day to support children and families. Everywhere I went, I saw commitment.
Many of our colleagues are operating in extremely challenging circumstances. And yet, what I saw everywhere was commitment.
A community kitchen in a camp for displaced people in North Darfur where Save the Children supports children who have been displaced. Hamid Abdulsalam
After many years working in humanitarian crises, it is easy to become accustomed to speaking in numbers: people displaced, children reached, or health consultations delivered. Being in Darfur was a reminder that these numbers only matter because of the individual lives behind them. Behind every statistic is a person, a child, a parent, a health worker, a teacher, or a humanitarian colleague trying to navigate circumstances they did not choose.
What I saw in Darfur was extraordinary resilience, but resilience should never become an excuse for the world to look away. Communities cannot carry the burden of this crisis alone. Children and families need sustained humanitarian assistance, and those working to reach them need the access and resources to do so.
I left Darfur with deep respect for the communities I met and for our colleagues and partners working alongside them. Their courage and determination stayed with me. But I also left with a renewed sense of urgency: Darfur must not become a forgotten crisis, and its children must not be forgotten.
-has-received-psychosocial-support-from-a-Save-the-Children-clinic-in-Al-Gezira--ch1909379.jpg/w2p13s5oocf3b25g6br1ssd86bq8222w.jpg?g=0.5x0.33&w=392&h=261&format=webp&itok=9deZsmDI "Hamid* (12) has received psychosocial support from a Save the Children clinic in Al Gezira State, Sudan")
