Shelter for Mothers

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THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF SHELTER

Hawa’s story epitomizes the critical role of shelter assistance. The moment gunfire tore through her village in Sudan, she knew she had to run. Grabbing her children, she fled into the night, hiding in the shadows, dodging bullets, and praying they would survive. After days of exhaustion, hunger, and fear, they finally crossed into Chad—safe, but with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Before the war, Hawa was a merchant, traveling between Chad and Sudan to trade goods, while her husband worked as a shoemaker. They lived a peaceful life, providing for their children. But when the conflict erupted, everything changed in an instant.“I lost my goods, which were stolen and burned at the local market. I lost everything.”

As the war raged on, staying home was no longer an option. Hawa and her family faced starvation, violence, and the ever-present threat of attack. They made the heartbreaking decision to flee under the cover of darkness, moving through war zones with unimaginable caution.“To cross the war zones, we hid between shrubs and lesser-known tracks. I feared for my daughters every moment of the journey.”

Now, in Chad, Hawa and her family live in a large community of displaced people, where ShelterBox is helping to provide more durable shelters. Thanks to generous supporters, they now have a safe place to sleep, solar lights for dark nights, and essential supplies to help them rebuild their lives.

Still, millions of mothers like Hawa are fleeing violence with nothing. 

They need safety. They need stability. They need your support.

Women and children are disproportionately affected by conflict. As mothers face displacement, violence, and the threat of gender-based violence, shelter becomes their foundation for safety, stability, and dignity. ShelterBox responds to humanitarian needs where they are greatest, and right now, it is Sudan. We are committed to ensuring that mothers and their children have access to secure shelter where they can find refuge and hope amidst the turmoil of war.

We need your help to provide emergency shelter and essential items for displaced families. Our ShelterBox response team is on the ground, collaborating with local partners to expedite aid delivery to those in desperate need. With your support, we can provide emergency shelter and crucial supplies such as tarps, rope, and tools to help families build a safe space. Blankets, mattresses, pillows, and floor mats will be distributed to provide warmth, while hygiene kits, water carriers, and kitchen sets will help prevent the spread of disease and ensure families have clean water and food.

Hawa’s journey is one of survival and resilience. Though she has found temporary refuge, she worries about her children’s future.“I have no future at my age, but I think about the future of my children without school and without knowledge. I do not sleep; I always advise my children to be patient and to hope for a better future.”

Despite the hardship, Hawa remains hopeful.

“I consider the shelter as a refuge because even if it is the only refuge I have with my children, I am satisfied.” With your support, we can provide more families like Hawa’s with secure shelter and the essentials they need to rebuild their lives. Your donation will provide safety, warmth, and dignity to mothers and children in crisis.

Millions of mothers like Hawa still need your help. Together, we can offer a lifeline to mothers and children displaced by conflict.

In April 2023, long-simmering tensions between Sudan’s military and main paramilitary force erupted into violent clashes, risking civil war. Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has continued. More than eight million people have been displaced since the start of the conflict on 15 April 2023. They are fleeing to safer locations within Sudan or across its borders.

Over 900,000 have fled to Chad from neighbouring Sudan, leaving their homes behind. Many are without adequate shelter. It includes people who were already internally displaced by previous conflicts in Sudan, as well as refugees from other countries that had previously sought safety in Sudan. The majority of the refugees are women and children.

The humanitarian need was already significant before this conflict started. That need is rising every day, made worse by a fourth consecutive year of acute food shortages in Chad. The country is also experiencing heavy rains, which makes the movement of materials and aid very difficult. It also creates challenging conditions for the people there.

ShelterBox has supported over 22,000 people in Chad since the beginning of the Sudan conflict, and we are now partnering with HELP Tchad to improve the living conditions and support the recovery of thousands more.

ShelterBox is providing emergency shelter items like tarpaulins and rope to help with the construction of temporary shelters. We are also providing essential items. This includes solar lights, mosquito nets, blankets, sleeping mats, kitchen sets, and fuel-efficient stoves.

The items being distributed are simple but effective. Tarpaulins protect people from the weather. When there is no electricity solar lights help people to see when darkness falls. Mosquito nets help protect people from diseases like malaria.

With no end to conflict in sight, we are expecting many more people to flee to Chad from Sudan. This will only add to the need for emergency shelter in the country. We’ll be supporting new arrivals to the transit areas of refugee camps. Our shelters will provide a temporary, safe home within the camp. Families can stay there until more durable shelters are available.