On a dirt road in Adré, a critical crossing on the Sudan-Chad border, 38-year-old Buthaina sits with other women, each accompanied by their children. They have no belongings. Buthaina fled with her six children from the besieged city of el-Fasher in Sudan’s Darfur region, over 480km away, when food and water became scarce. “We left with nothing, we just ran for our lives,” she tells the BBC. “My children were excelling in school, and we had a good life.”

Sudan’s civil war, which started in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), continues with no end in sight. The war, sparked by disagreements over a transition to civilian rule, has killed thousands, displaced millions, and caused famine in parts of the country. Aid organizations warn that without more help, Sudan may face the world's worst famine.

In Adré and Port Sudan, the main aid hub 1,600km to the east, the BBC observed the struggles of Sudanese refugees. In Adré, dozens cross the border into Chad daily, many women carrying their children. They rush to water tanks provided by the World Food Programme (WFP), a UN agency raising awareness about the humanitarian crisis. Although the border recently reopened after months of closure, aid deliveries remain inadequate, and agencies fear they may be too late.

Refugees in Adré live in makeshift camps, using wood, cloth, and plastic to build shelters. Rainfall often destroys these structures, and flooding delays aid deliveries. Famine has been declared in Zamzam camp in Darfur, though reliable data from other areas remains scarce. The WFP reported delivering 200,000 tonnes of food between April 2023 and July 2024, but this falls far short of what is needed. Both the SAF and RSF have been accused of obstructing aid deliveries to areas under opposing control.

The SAF agreed on August 15 to allow aid shipments through Adré, offering some hope for those in Darfur. However, allegations persist. The RSF has been accused of crimes, including ethnic cleansing of Massalit and non-Arab communities, a charge it denies. Meanwhile, civilians in Port Sudan’s camps continue to share harrowing stories. One group of women recounted being raped and tortured in RSF prisons. One mother described how her son was taken away and she could hear him cry as she was assaulted.

At the same camp, Safaa, a mother of six, fled from Omdurman but lost contact with her husband, who stayed behind, fearing the RSF’s targeting of men. She has heard nothing from him since January. When asked about the future, Safaa replies, “What future? There is nothing left.” Her 10-year-old son frequently cries, yearning for home.

Despite these tragedies, an employee from Unicef, guiding the BBC, emphasized that those in these camps are “lucky” for escaping the fighting and having shelter. The BBC visited Adré and Port Sudan alongside UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohamed, who pressed Sudan’s leaders to keep the Adré crossing open. She urged the international community to refocus on Sudan, amid global attention on crises in Ukraine and Gaza. “These people aren’t just numbers,” Mohamed remarked. “If the world doesn’t step up, people will die.”