A Heartbreaking Choice: Sudan's War Forces a Mother's Dilemma

Mon Oct 20 2025 19:46:00 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In the midst of Sudan's ongoing civil war, one mother faces an unthinkable choice between her twin daughters' health as resources dwindle and starvation looms.

As the civil war in Sudan ravages families and communities, Touma, a 25-year-old mother, faces an unimaginable decision. With both of her severely malnourished twin daughters in desperate need of medical care, she can afford to save only one. In a harrowing tale of survival amidst overwhelming odds, Touma's story highlights the dire humanitarian crisis gripping Sudan, where mothers are forced to make choices no parent should ever have to face.

Warning: This piece contains details that some readers may find distressing

Touma sits in a hospital, her eyes glassy as she gazes at her frail three-year-old daughter, Masajed. 'I wish she would cry,' Touma murmurs, noting her daughter hasn't made a sound in days.

Bashaer Hospital, one of the few still operational in the war-torn capital Bangkok, is overwhelmed with children suffering from malnutrition. The ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and paramilitary forces has left many families like Touma's devastated, fleeing their homes with little more than their lives.

Now, with no money for treatment, her children are paying the price. In a tragic turn of events, Touma had to choose which twin to save after realizing she could only afford antibiotics for one. With a broken heart, she chose her twin, Manahil, while Masajed lay still in her arms.

I am alone. I have nothing. I have only God, she laments, highlighting the desperate situation many families face amidst the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where three million children are acutely malnourished, and hospitals are overwhelmed with patients.

Doctors and aid organizations report grim survival rates, leaving those in the malnutrition ward with little hope. As the war continues, the children of Sudan are robbed of their childhood, struggling to survive in dire conditions marked by constant fear and uncertainty.

This heart-wrenching story underscores the need for global awareness and support to help the children of Sudan and their families during this critical time.