Family waits for peace with little to sustain themselves

This South Sudanese family, with five children, arrived to one of the islands in Nyal from Mayendit less than two weeks before this image was taken. Still not registered with the World Food Programme, they sustained themselves with water lilies and through the generosity of their new neighbours. It takes them three hours of work to find enough water lilies because so many others are looking for them as well.

“When we left, we put all of our belongings in a large plastic tarp. We even put the children on the tarp and pulled it through the marshes for many days.”

Now, the same tarp serves as a shelter. The mother has no idea when they will be able to return home because there is no peace. When everyone else can return, she will too. Until then, she waits.