Unfortunately, for the vast majority of Sudanese people, this is not the reality. The truth is that hidden behind their kind words and smiling faces are countless untold tragedies, and thus, writing about anything else becomes impossible. The people of Sudan; the Arabs, the Africans, the nomads, Christians, Muslims, and Atheists, are people no different from you or I. But they have been suffering in ways that are impossible for a person to either bear or comprehend.

So how much suffering can a man bear before he collapses? How much pain can a woman take before she dies? Such questions are being answered by the people of Sudan on a daily basis. Estimates of how many people are dying, sick, and threatened in a country of conflict often prove difficult to acquire. This is particularly true of Sudan, where calculations are used by, amongst others, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to estimate the amount of deaths - because it is simply impossible to count the sufferings. Indeed, since the conflicts in Darfur started in 2003, it is estimated that 300,000 people have been killed, two million women and girls have been raped, and several million people have fled their homes. These people are refugees in their own country.

Many of these displaced people flee to Port Sudan. Amongst the most venerable of them are the children who have tragically lost their parents and thus have no protection and no guarantee of shelter or provisions. Currently, approximately 700 children live on the streets of Port Sudan, two thirds of which have fled from conflict regions such as Darfur, Kordofan and South Sudan. These children have experienced great traumas and their troubles do not stop upon arriving to Port Sudan.

Here, the children are left to fend for themselves and vulnerable boys and girls, some as young as 7, are left without any rights in society. They are exposed to infections, drug related problems, rape, HIV transmission and dehydration and yet have no assess to health care.

They are victims of forced child labor; often working 12 hours in the city market and being paid next to nothing. Desperate and alone many of these children turn to petty thief where evidence indicates that those caught are often sentenced to 40 whips - after spending 15 -30 days in jail. Sadly, there is little possibility of a different life as they are refused education. Thus, it is clear that for the children on the streets, there is no justice.

It is easy to feel that these issues are not being addressed, or maybe more accurately - no matter what I do or how hard I work, the sufferings are so overwhelming that I cannot do any good. However, in the midst of these problems there are those who are encouraging change by taking direct action. The Sudanese Red Crescent are one such organization and are working hard to meet the challenges faced by the street children of Port Sudan.

We opened a drop in day centre for the children that offered food, education programs and much needed care. By offering a consistently safe and caring environment the centre and its staff swiftly gained the children’s trust and the amount of visitors increased rapidly. The centre was clearly offering a much needed service and was a resounding success.

With minimal funding The Sudanese Red Crescent successfully managed to keep the centre open for one year. However, in May 2008 the financial strain reluctantly forced us to close it down. The children continue to show up but without funding from the Government, commercial industries or private donors it seems impossible to reopen the centre. No matter how loud the children cry for help we simply no longer have anything to offer them. This is why I am obligated to cry out for help on their behalf.

In Port Sudan there are children who have fled from disasters, and survived, but still they are suffering. The Sudanese Red Crescent want to continue to help them and can do so by providing for fundamental needs such as food and clothing. There is also potential for further development of the day centre and it is hoped that in the future our staff can help the children with education costs and even family reunions.  However, without sustained financial funding none of this can be achieved and the drop in day centre will remain shut.

With the correct support The Sudanese Red Crescent can offer these children opportunities and hope, a life off the street and a future without suffering.