David John Lieth, a visually impaired father of seven survivor of Sudan's war - Photo credit: Darlington Moses/Eye Radio

When the conflict erupted in Sudan, David John Lieth, a visually impaired father of seven, saw his life, comfortable and secure for decades shatter overnight.

Lieth had lived in Sudan since childhood and considered it his second home, where he built a family and life with his wife, Kinith Makuem.

Although the family did not have much, Lieth says they had enough to go by and cater for their children’s education.

That stability ended when fighting broke out between the Sudan Armed Forces, led by Abdel Fattah al‑Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces under Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti).

The violence spread swiftly across the country, prompting Lieth, his wife, and their three youngest children to flee back to South Sudan, the place he had long avoided for its own history of conflict.

What became most harrowing was not the fear of dying, but the lack of food.

“We drank tea with sugar for days. I cannot see, so my children had to guide me even to the toilet,” he said on Eye Radio’s Dawn show. For 28 days on the road, their survival depended on that one, thin lifeline.

“Life is very difficult for us, even food is a challenge. We only eat one meal at night,” he says.

Even after arriving in South Sudan, the family’s hardship continued.

Currently residing at Mangaten IDP camp in Juba, Lieth battles scorching heat, high living costs, and limited disability access. Basic services remain out of reach for him and many like him.

Amid these dire conditions, Light for the World, an international NGO, stepped in.

They funded Lieth’s eye surgery and supported his children’s schooling.

Kinith, too, has taken positive steps to rebuild: she completed a soap‑making training and joined a local savings group, thanks to support from the NGO.

Speaking on World Refugee Day, Lieth appealed to national leaders to prioritize peace and humane return conditions. “I urge our leaders to bring lasting peace.

The citizens are suffering and tired of this situation,” he said, urging improvements in healthcare, education, jobs, and infrastructure for refugees and returnees.

World Refugee Day, observed annually on June 20, honors the resilience of those forced to flee. This year’s theme, “Solidarity with Refugees,” highlights the urgent need for safety, services, and opportunity.

Lieth’s experience is far from isolated. The UNHCR Global Trends Report records a 20‑year high in refugee returns: over 775,000 people have returned to South Sudan since Sudan’s war began in 2023.

Alarmingly, 1 in 6 returnees has a disability, yet many still lack essential services.

As Lieth’s implored: “May God unite your hearts … You are in those positions because of us. If we are not there, who will you govern?”

His plea is clear: South Sudan’s returnees deserve to come home not only safely, but with dignity.

He says the government and its international partners must ensure every return is supported by adequate services, infrastructure, and inclusion.