‘Half of my friends killed’ in Obeid school shelling

It was a normal day for 18-year-old twins Makarem and Ikram until their school was attacked.

Makarem was in an English literature class and Ikram was in a science class when they heard “strange noises” coming from outside Sudan’s school.

Then the shelling began.

Macarem said her shoulder “sloped” when she was hit. Her classmates screamed and fell to the ground to escape the gunfire and seek shelter.

“We were hiding against the wall and the girl in front of me put her hand on my shoulder and said, ‘Your shoulder is bleeding.'”

In the chaos, the two sisters in different classrooms tried to contact each other, but failed. Later, Ikram looked for her sister, not knowing that she had been taken to the hospital.

Like other injured people, Makarem was taken to the hospital by local residents, who took the injured to the hospital in cars and animal-drawn carts because there was no ambulance service in Obeid city where they lived.

Eventually, her teachers and classmates had to convince Ikram to give up the search and return home.

It wasn’t until later that day, when Makarem came home from the hospital, that her family discovered she was still alive.

“I was waiting for her outside the front door and when I saw her coming, we both cried,” Ikram said. The area of ​​the school he was in was not attacked and he was not injured.

In August 2024, an English teacher and 13 classmates in Makarem and Ikram were killed and dozens injured in a shelling attack at the Abu Sita Girls’ School in Obeid, North Kordofan. The school usually has about 300 students.

Regional authorities blamed the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – a paramilitary group at war with Sudanese forces – for firing the shells.

Doctors Without Borders has never commented on the incident and did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment. It was unclear whether the shelling of the school was intentional.

Makarem said half of her friends at school were killed and the other half injured.

In addition to shoulder injuries, she also suffered head injuries but was discharged from hospital after receiving basic treatment.

But a few days later, she developed a severe headache and underwent a CT scan, which revealed a small piece of shrapnel in her head.

“It hurt so much that I had to take a lot of painkillers,” she said.

The Sudanese civil war began in April 2023 and has resulted in the death of more than 150,000 people and the forced displacement of millions.

The United Nations says the country is currently experiencing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Sudan’s oil-rich Kordofan region, divided into North, South and West Kordofan states, has become a main frontline in the war due to its strategic significance, located between the area controlled by Forces Without Borders in the west and the eastern area where the army is mainly responsible.

Analysts say whoever controls the region effectively controls the country’s oil supplies and much of the country.

According to the United Nations, an estimated 13 million of the 17 million school-age children remaining in Sudan are out of school.

North Darfur, controlled by Doctors Without Borders, is the worst-affected state, with only 3% of schools open, according to charity Save the Children.

Abu Sita School was closed for three months after the attack while it underwent renovations.

Makarem and Ikram said they initially could not imagine returning to the place where their friend and teacher was killed.

“But when I saw my friends coming back and telling me everything was fine, I decided to come back,” Ikram said.

Even so, returning to school brought back painful memories.

“I used to close my eyes on the way to class to avoid looking at the area where shelling was taking place,” Ikram said.

Principal Iman Ahmed said many students had received psychological support after returning to school.

The school also provided beds and nurses to allow injured students to sit for exams comfortably.

Although Obeid was still subject to repeated drone attacks, when the BBC visited in December last year, students at the school were playing and laughing in the courtyard.

The principal said the girls’ determination to continue their studies despite what happened was “a sign of defiance and loyalty to those who have been lost”.

But the situation for children studying in El Obeid remains challenging.

The city was besieged by RSF for more than a year and a half until Sudanese forces regained control in February 2025.

While the situation is now relatively calm, dozens of schools have been converted into shelters for people fleeing the war.

According to the state’s humanitarian aid commissioner, Obeid hosts nearly a million displaced people in various shelters.

Ibtisam Ali, a student at a converted middle school, said she could not leave her classroom until school ended because the playground was filled with displaced people.

“Even going to the toilet has become a problem for us,” she said.

Walid Mohamed Hassan, the education minister of North Kordofan state, said displaced families in schools caused problems, including sanitation issues, but that these were “the conditions of war and the costs of war.”

Despite the war and everything that happened, Makarem and Ikram, now 19, are hopeful about their future.

Ikram completed his education at school and is currently studying English at El Obeid University.

She was inspired by Fathiya Khalil Ibrahiem, an English teacher who was killed in the attack.

She said her friend’s death made her more determined to complete her studies.

“I keep reminding myself that we should have the same ambition to achieve what they cannot achieve.”

Macarem, meanwhile, wants to become a doctor, like those who treated her after her injuries.

She passed her secondary school exams but did not achieve the grades required to study medicine at university.

Makarem said the shrapnel lodged in her head and could not be surgically removed made it difficult for her to learn at first.

“I could only study for an hour and then rest for an hour, which was very difficult.”

Sudanese neuroscientist Dr. Tariq Zobir said the medical impact of shrapnel lodged in the head varies depending on the situation.

Some people experience no symptoms and survive without medical intervention.

But if more severe symptoms, such as cramps, occur, surgery may be needed.

For Makarem, the pain is no longer constant, although it gets worse during the cold winter months. She relies on painkillers when needed.

She decided to repeat the school year so she could retake the exam.

“I believe I can achieve my goal.

“I’m very hopeful for the future,” she said.

Additional reporting by Salma Khattab

To support children in Sudan and other Arabic-speaking countries who are denied or restricted access to education, BBC World Service is launching a new season of its award-winning education program Dars (or Lesson) in Arabic.

The first episode will air on BBC News Arabia on Saturday, January 24. New episodes air every Saturday at 09:30 GMT (11:30 EET), with repeats on Sundays at 05:30 GMT (07:30 EET), and on repeat throughout the week.

The program is also available on digital platforms, including BBC News Arabia’s YouTube.