Wishing for life in South Sudan to return to normal

A life on the run

During this five-year conflict, around 2.5 million South Sudanese have become refugees, while 1.5 million have been internally displaced, according to various reports. That is more than a third of the population (12 million) of South Sudan.

In some communities, like this one we are visiting, families flee during clashes and later return. They have also received families from the surrounding villages. Even though they have gone through several confrontations, being surrounded by water is considered an advantage to escape: they can hide for days in the water or cross swamps where they won't be chased.

I meet a woman who looks to be in her early 20s, who sought refuge in this area six months ago.

"Our village was attacked," she says. "We went to another village, but they followed us, so we came here after crossing some swamps."

I ask how they have survived all this time with no outside assistance.

"We don't have land. We lost everything. We forage for fruits, roots, and sometimes we walk to a (displacement) camp to get assistance."

Her children have been out of school this year because of the attacks. All the school supplies were stolen and frequent clashes do not allow classes to continue. One of the children tells me he wants to be a doctor to help his community. When every day is a struggle to survive, education slips away to a dream.