Ten months after the civil war erupted in Sudan, sending hundreds of thousands fleeing, many of those who sought refuge in neighbouring Egypt face a grim choice between homelessness and returning home at their own peril.
Single mother Rehab has been in Egypt for seven months, fighting to build a life for her children.
“I have a daughter who was born here, and I can’t work to provide for her,” the 28-year-old said.
Gathered in a small church in eastern Cairo, dozens of women like Rehab said their families — cramped into overcrowded apartments — have been sleeping on bare floors since they arrived.
“People came to Egypt thinking life will be better here,” said 28-year old Ibram Kiir, a Sunday school teacher from Sudan who has been in Egypt for five years and helps refugees through the church.
“But then reality hits. They do not have any money, they cannot get an apartment, it is cold and they cannot get winter clothes. So they turn back,” he said.
Since the fighting began in April between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, more than 4,50,000 people have crossed the border into Egypt, according to official figures.
But as the months stretch on, employment, proper housing and help have become nearly impossible to find, with Egypt’s two-year economic crisis rapidly worsening.
Under the shadow of the nationwide financial crisis, human rights groups and Sudanese living in Egypt have warned of rising anti-refugee sentiment.
Rents have soared in Cairo as the economic crisis worsens, though rights groups and Sudanese said landlords were specifically targeting Sudanese residents.
“You either pay up or they will find someone who will,” Mr. Kiir said.
As the war rages, people have been left with no options.
“We cannot go back, we cannot move anywhere else, and we cannot stay here,” Ali said from a Sudanese community centre in Cairo — which is also under threat of eviction.
