Title: "We only need a chance": Sudanese refugees stranded at Ceuta border as world's worst crisis deepens

**Article:** Mohamed, a 38-year-old law graduate from Khartoum, stands alone in the woods surrounding the Temporary Stay Center for Immigrants (CETI) in Ceuta. He grips his backpack tightly as Spanish Army troops surround the hundreds of sub-Saharan migrants who chant in unison: "Asylum, asylum!" "I only have my mobile phone left," Mohamed says, showing the device has no battery. "I've been trying to find a solution for days." Mohamed is one of more than 500 Sudanese nationals who have slept in the forests and beaches near the CETI since crossing the Morocco-Ceuta border last Thursday. Most are fleeing the war that has devastated Sudan since 2023. Unlike many of his companions, Mohamed flew to Morocco on a scholarship at Abdelmalek Essaâdi University in Tetouan. "Moroccans treated me very well, but I cannot build a good life here," he explains. "We've gone days without food and water. The European Union and Spain talk a lot about human rights, but where are they now?" Mohamed swam to Ceuta after seeing social media posts about the border crossing. He has sent his academic credentials to Spanish universities. "I would even volunteer just to get out of here," he says. **A seven-month journey** Ahmed, 43, from Darfur, left Sudan in August 2024 on foot. "I lost my father and two brothers in the bombings," he says. "They are killing us all." Ahmed traveled through Libya and Algeria before reaching Morocco. "My wife and I walked with three other Sudanese men. We couldn't bring our three children. We left them in Sudan," he recounts. He survived seven months in Libya, enduring attacks by security forces and crossing the desert without food or water. He avoided Tunisia because "things there are worse." His wife remains in Morocco while Ahmed seeks work to send money home. "We are from Sudan. We want to be refugees," reads a cardboard sign held by another protester. **Young professionals trapped** A 23-year-old law graduate from Mohammed V University in Rabat says he left behind friends and a partner in Morocco. "I have several projects, but they can be more valuable outside Morocco." Ezat, 28, studied mechanics in Sudan. He walked from Sudan to Morocco in September 2024 and now works in construction. His legs show fresh and healed wounds. "I don't feel safe in Morocco," he says. "I have suffered harassment and physical violence several times." **The worst humanitarian crisis** According to the association Elin, over 500 Sudanese have slept near the CETI or on Trampolín Beach in recent days. Some, like 18-year-old Haytham, arrived about ten days before the mass crossing of more than 70,000 people last Thursday. Sudan's war began on April 15, 2023, as a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. The conflict has since spread across Khartoum, Darfur, and Kordofan, involving local militias and foreign support. The United Nations calls Sudan the world's worst humanitarian crisis. More than nine million people are displaced inside the country, and over 3.5 million have crossed borders. Over 30 million people need humanitarian assistance, while blockades and market destruction worsen the risk of famine. "We only need a chance," Mohamed insists. "One chance can make the difference." He continues to wait on the hills above the CETI, looking toward Spain.