In the month of May, Amira embarked on a perilous journey through one of Sudan's most active war zones. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had just seized the city where she was living - En Nahud in the state of West Kordofan. The road out was dangerous, but she felt she had no choice. She was seven months pregnant.
There were no hospitals anymore, no pharmacies, she said, and I was afraid if I stayed longer, I wouldn't find any vehicles heading out. Travel had become almost non-existent: incredibly difficult and extremely expensive.
The civil war between the Sudanese military and the RSF has brutalized civilians for more than two years. Now, the front line has shifted to the southern region of Kordofan, through which Amira traveled.
As Amira fled, she recorded an audio diary that was made available to the BBC by the global campaigns group Avaaz. We also reached her by telephone in Uganda's capital, Kampala, where she is waiting to deliver her child.
Right from the beginning of the trip, there was trouble. The RSF and its allies controlled all transport, Amira said. When she and her husband boarded the truck to take her out of En Nahud, a fight broke out between the young man who had rented the vehicle for his family and the RSF driver, who was selling more seats to other passengers.
In the midst of the chaos, she witnessed a terrifying standoff. The driver immediately pulled out his gun and threatened to shoot the young man who had rented the truck. Everyone was pleading with him, including his RSF companion, Amira recalled.
Eventually, the driver put his gun away, but the young man stayed behind in En Nahud. The overloaded truck set out on an uneven road full of potholes, carrying around 70 or 80 people.
I was scared the entire time, Amira said. I kept praying the baby wouldn't come - just hoping everything would be OK.
Eventually, they made it to el-Fula, where Amira feared the approaching army would cause further danger. After three exhausting days filled with breakdowns and threats, Amira and her husband finally reached safety in South Sudan, and later continued onto Uganda.
Now that she has reached safety, Amira faces new challenges, including the anxiety of impending motherhood without the support of her family, highlighting her resilience in the face of overwhelming turmoil.
There were no hospitals anymore, no pharmacies, she said, and I was afraid if I stayed longer, I wouldn't find any vehicles heading out. Travel had become almost non-existent: incredibly difficult and extremely expensive.
The civil war between the Sudanese military and the RSF has brutalized civilians for more than two years. Now, the front line has shifted to the southern region of Kordofan, through which Amira traveled.
As Amira fled, she recorded an audio diary that was made available to the BBC by the global campaigns group Avaaz. We also reached her by telephone in Uganda's capital, Kampala, where she is waiting to deliver her child.
Right from the beginning of the trip, there was trouble. The RSF and its allies controlled all transport, Amira said. When she and her husband boarded the truck to take her out of En Nahud, a fight broke out between the young man who had rented the vehicle for his family and the RSF driver, who was selling more seats to other passengers.
In the midst of the chaos, she witnessed a terrifying standoff. The driver immediately pulled out his gun and threatened to shoot the young man who had rented the truck. Everyone was pleading with him, including his RSF companion, Amira recalled.
Eventually, the driver put his gun away, but the young man stayed behind in En Nahud. The overloaded truck set out on an uneven road full of potholes, carrying around 70 or 80 people.
I was scared the entire time, Amira said. I kept praying the baby wouldn't come - just hoping everything would be OK.
Eventually, they made it to el-Fula, where Amira feared the approaching army would cause further danger. After three exhausting days filled with breakdowns and threats, Amira and her husband finally reached safety in South Sudan, and later continued onto Uganda.
Now that she has reached safety, Amira faces new challenges, including the anxiety of impending motherhood without the support of her family, highlighting her resilience in the face of overwhelming turmoil.
