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Since the civil war broke out in Sudan a month ago, at least 750 people have been killed and nearly a million people have been displaced. Much of the focus has been on the capital Khartoum and its surrounding areas.

But the Darfur region in the south-west of the country has also seen fighting and a massive movement of people. Many are heading south to try to cross into South Sudan.

Valentino Achak Deng is in charge of managing government schools in the South Sudanese state of Northern Bahr el Ghazal, in the north-west of the country. He told Newsday what he was seeing from Aweil Town - across the border from Darfur.

"They look sick and hungry. They have travelled on foot for many miles. Many of them are reporting cases where they have had to pay to be allowed to leave Sudan – there’s a lot of banditry on the way. They are from southern Darfur, western Darfur, northern Darfur and [even] Khartoum.

"What is really disturbing is they are not carrying anything. They say there is widespread violence. Many are still at the border towns… the governor held a fundraiser. But the state has its own issues and it needs help to cater for the thousands of refugees now entering."

(Pic: Sudan’s refugees after crossing the border into South Sudan; Credit: Ajang Santino Deng)

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