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During the Sudanese civil war, more than 27,000 children from South Sudan were separated from their families. Orphaned and with no support, these children made epic journeys lasting years across borders to international relief camps in Ethiopia and Kenya evading thirst, starvation, wild animals, insects, disease, and one of the most bloody wars of the 20th century. Adut Dau Atem was just eight years old at the time.
"I was at school when the first bomb hit us. The civil war had reached our town," remembers Adut. "There was no time to find my parents. In the confusion I found my nine year old brother, and my three year old cousin who were wandering, scared, with my friend Deng who was 12 years old. We joined some other children and ran."
For the next two months this small army of children walked day and night.
"We walked and walked and walked until we reached a displacement camp in Torit. We were safe there for about a month, they gave us food, and basic shelter, but then war broke out again."
Once again the children fled and for the next two years, moved from one place to another, seeking safety. Many died along the way of hunger and disease. Eventually they reached Kakuma Camp in Kenya where they remained.
"When we first arrived, we were cold and hungry," recalls Adut. "I was given food and I was given water, and I was sheltered. And after I had these things I had to ask, where did all these things come from? There were so many kids in the camp and we all asked, where did everything come from? We were told, 'Your food is coming from UNHCR'. But who was UNHCR? We wanted to see who this person was. We didn't understand. We just wanted to find this person and say thank you, thank you for playing the role of mother and father to us."
Approximately four million people fled their homes during Sudan's brutal civil war, and many would not be alive today without UNHCR's support.
Over the last decade, Australian donors have helped provide emergency shelter, food and medical care in all leading global crises including the Asian tsunami, the Myanmar cyclone, the Pakistan earthquake, the Kenya flood as well as conflicts in the DRC, Sri Lanka, Chad, Iraq and Somalia. Today, UNHCR's Emergency Response Teams are able to mobilise supplies and equipment within 72 hours to any corner of the world to cover the immediate needs of up to 500,000 people. You can join the Emergency Response Team now! Adut now lives in Canberra and is a Special Youth Representative for Australia for UNHCR.
