For two years, the city of Khartoum in Sudan has been ravaged by war. Tanks rolled into neighborhoods, fighter jets soared overhead and civilians were caught in the crossfire, artillery bombardments and drone strikes. Schools, playgrounds, and football pitches are now nothing but ruins, their remnants a haunting reminder of what once was. But amidst the devastation, there's one voice that stands out - 12-year-old Zaher.
Zaher's world has been turned upside down since his family fled their home about 200km south-west of Khartoum in search of safety from fighting between government forces and paramilitary groups known as the Rapid Support Forces. The force took everything they owned, leaving them with nothing but their lives. Zaher and his mother, Habibah, had to sell lentils on the streets just to survive.
One morning, a drone struck while Habibah was working alongside her son. Zaher's legs were badly damaged in the attack. Doctors were able to save his life but not his legs. Both were amputated below the knee, leaving him with no prosthetic limbs and facing an uncertain future.
Habibah says she wishes she could have traded her own life for Zaher's, a common sentiment among Sudanese mothers of children injured in the conflict. But doctors say there are other ways to help them.
At school, Zaher clings to his football dreams despite having lost the use of both legs. His classmates play on without him but they're still playing, albeit slowly and with difficulty.
"I wish they could just fix me," Zaher says. "So I could walk home and go to school." But for now, he's left limping on his knees, watching his friends laugh and play football as if nothing had changed.
The trauma is far-reaching, affecting not only Zaher but the entire community. Children have been forced to drop out of school due to fear or financial constraints. Families are torn apart by displacement and violence. The war has stolen their childhoods, leaving them with an uncertain future.
As schools reopen in Sudan's shattered cities, there's a glimmer of hope for these young minds to rediscover the joy of learning. But without safe places to play and grow, it seems that some wounds will never fully heal.
Zaher's world has been turned upside down since his family fled their home about 200km south-west of Khartoum in search of safety from fighting between government forces and paramilitary groups known as the Rapid Support Forces. The force took everything they owned, leaving them with nothing but their lives. Zaher and his mother, Habibah, had to sell lentils on the streets just to survive.
One morning, a drone struck while Habibah was working alongside her son. Zaher's legs were badly damaged in the attack. Doctors were able to save his life but not his legs. Both were amputated below the knee, leaving him with no prosthetic limbs and facing an uncertain future.
Habibah says she wishes she could have traded her own life for Zaher's, a common sentiment among Sudanese mothers of children injured in the conflict. But doctors say there are other ways to help them.
At school, Zaher clings to his football dreams despite having lost the use of both legs. His classmates play on without him but they're still playing, albeit slowly and with difficulty.
"I wish they could just fix me," Zaher says. "So I could walk home and go to school." But for now, he's left limping on his knees, watching his friends laugh and play football as if nothing had changed.
The trauma is far-reaching, affecting not only Zaher but the entire community. Children have been forced to drop out of school due to fear or financial constraints. Families are torn apart by displacement and violence. The war has stolen their childhoods, leaving them with an uncertain future.
As schools reopen in Sudan's shattered cities, there's a glimmer of hope for these young minds to rediscover the joy of learning. But without safe places to play and grow, it seems that some wounds will never fully heal.
. I can only imagine how scary it must be for him to lose his legs in a drone attack 
. and now he's stuck with no prosthetic limbs, facing an uncertain future that's so unfair. 
. and it's not just the physical harm, it's the emotional trauma too... I'm sure Zaher's mom wishes she could've given her life for him 
.
. schools reopening and kids getting to rediscover learning... that's a start 
. we need more than just that though, we need safe places for these kids to grow and play too 
. it's like, we can't fix the wounds completely but we can try to help them heal, right? 
. His whole world is shattered & he's just trying to hold on to his dreams of playing football again 
. It's heartbreaking to see him limping around, watching others have fun without him 
. The schools reopening is a good start but what about the playfields & sports facilities? That's where the real healing happens 
. We can't just focus on education alone, we gotta give them a chance to be kids again 
.
man this is so heartbreaking what kinda world do we live in where kids have to lose limbs just to survive & then they're expected to pick up their lives like nothing happened 
can't we just fix the problem instead of messing around with band-aids 
schools should be safe spaces for kids not places where they get hurt or forced to drop out 
.
... we should be doing more to help these families and kids affected by war!
This war is like a super dark experiment on humanity, you feel? First, they take away your home & livelihoods, then they try to kill you with drones 
. And now this kid Zaher's all messed up, can't even walk without pain. It's crazy how the world just ignores these kids while their parents struggle to survive 
. And honestly, I'm kinda tired of hearing about kids who got hurt in war. It feels like all anyone wants to do is talk about their suffering 
