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Rockets overhead. The sound of gunfire outside your window. The smell of smoke in the streets. Many factors drive today’s forced migration crisis, but few are as traumatic and earth-shattering as armed conflict.
For those of us living in regions of stability, it can be easy to forget that peace is not the norm for millions across the world. In December 2024, ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data) — an independent global monitor that collects and analyzes data on armed conflict — reported that 50 countries ranked for extreme, high or turbulent levels of conflict. What’s more, UNHCR reports from 2024 show violent conflict has been the primary cause of displacement for 123 million people around the world. Imagine nearly the entire U.S. South (approximately 126 million people) fleeing to surrounding states and across borders, leaving their houses empty because of war.
This is the heartbreaking reality for people like Mukhter and Hassabia. Born and raised in Sudan, their home country is now the epicenter of the largest displacement crisis on earth. While their story is unique to them, it echoes the experiences of millions who are displaced by conflict — whether within their home countries, across neighboring borders or as refugees seeking safety in nations like the United States.
Help families displaced by armed conflict.
Mukhter and Hassabia
Mukhter, his wife Hassabia and their two children currently live in Koursigue Refugee Camp in Chad. For years, Mukhter worked as a chemistry teacher in Sudan, while Hassabia stayed at home to take care of their growing family. They lived in peace, building a future for their children. But that life ended in a matter of moments when armed conflict erupted near their home.
As the family fled, Hassabia and her mother were kidnapped. Hassabia watched as her mother was murdered in front of her. Hassabia managed to escape, but was assaulted during the process, leaving her pregnant. Months later, she gave birth to her son in a refugee camp.
Like far too many families around the world, their displacement journey was indelibly marked by trauma and immense loss — loss of jobs, livelihoods, family and friends. Loss of home. This was not the story they wanted. But at World Relief, we believe their story is not over.
Writing a New Story Amid the Migration Crisis
In the refugee camp, Mukhter and Hassabia press on. Every time Hassabia looks into her son’s eyes, she relives the nightmare that was their escape. But she continues to care for this little one, and with the help of World Relief’s medical clinic in the camp, she can ensure her baby remains healthy.
Mukhter, determined to continue caring for his family and for the community around him, now volunteers his time to teach English to the children in the camp. He admits that some days, he feels as though his life is over. But as he looks at the children around him — at the child in Hassabia’s arms — he knows why he must keep going. “The children, they must be saved,” Mukhter says.
Families driven from their homes by conflict, like Mukhter and Hassabia’s, are resilient. Even in the darkest of circumstances, they find the courage to keep going. And when we walk alongside them with the hope of Jesus, we have the opportunity to write a new story together. In Sudan and Chad, this looks like supporting displaced families through safe water access, intensive nutritional support and protection. In places like the U.S., it means providing English lessons, job assistance and legal support — or simply sharing a warm meal and a friendly home with those seeking safety in our nation.
What’s more, we work around the globe to address drivers of displacement, including conflict, by walking alongside communities as they become stronger and more resilient. Whether introducing innovations in agriculture, helping families access clean water or reducing poverty through savings groups, we’re working to help those most at risk stand strong against the forces that cause displacement.
Together, we’re engaging the global forced migration crisis by strengthening social fabrics and helping families forced to flee conflict and other drivers wherever they seek safety. Thanks to your partnership with us, we help people like Mukhter and Hassabia write a different story — not one that ignores the past or the difficulty of the present, but that redeems it through the grace of God.
Will you boldly act to help families caught in the forced migration crisis?
Samuel Heard serves as a content specialist at World Relief. His writing has appeared in a variety of outlets, including Baptist Press, Mere Orthodoxy, the Center for Faith and Culture and elsewhere. He lives in Upstate South Carolina with his wife and two children.
