Trapped in Transit: Civilians Fleeing War Caught in the Crossfire at Renk

Sudanese girls and women find some shade at a transit center for refugees in Renk, South Sudan. [Luis Tato/AFP]

|Published 5:05 PM ET, Tuesday April 22, 2025|

In the dusty border town of Renk, where Sudan bleeds into South Sudan, thousands of desperate civilians find themselves stranded—neither safe in their homeland nor welcomed across the border. What was supposed to be a gateway to safety has become a bottleneck of human suffering, as war-torn families fleeing Sudan’s brutal conflict now confront a new crisis: being trapped in limbo, exhausted and neglected.

The situation unfolding in Renk is a humanitarian emergency—and a glaring indictment of regional and international inertia. As Sudan continues to unravel under the weight of a ruthless power struggle between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), civilians have borne the brunt. Whole communities have fled airstrikes, massacres, and scorched-earth tactics, with many walking for days only to arrive in Renk to find no food, no shelter, and no way forward.

The border between Sudan and South Sudan is now a holding ground for misery. Aid agencies warn that the camps in Renk are overwhelmed. Clean water is scarce, medical supplies are running low, and food rations are stretched to their limits. Mothers cradle malnourished children under makeshift tarpaulins, while others plead for safe passage deeper into South Sudan or for international evacuation. Yet the world remains disturbingly quiet.

This crisis is not just a test of logistics—it is a test of political will. South Sudan, already fragile and recovering from its own civil war, cannot shoulder the burden alone. Regional organizations like the African Union and IGAD must act with urgency to coordinate humanitarian corridors and broker ceasefires that prioritize civilian protection. The United Nations and global powers must also go beyond expressions of concern and deliver tangible support—through emergency funding, diplomatic pressure, and refugee resettlement programs.

But most of all, the Sudanese warring factions must be held accountable. The deliberate targeting of civilians, the obstruction of aid, and the weaponization of displacement are crimes that must not be normalized.

Renk, once a peripheral outpost, is now the epicenter of a regional failure. How the world responds—or fails to—will echo far beyond the border. These trapped civilians are not just victims of war; they are the test of our collective humanity. And right now, that test is being failed.

Author: Dr. Omoruyi is the publisher of iNewsAfrica, an online news platform dedicated to delivering eyewitness news from Africa to a global audience.