Thousands of people have fled the conflict in Sudan in recent years, escaping an internal war that has caused more than 11 million people to be displaced and triggered a severe food crisis. We travelled to Egypt, specifically to Cairo, in collaboration with UNHCR, to support displaced Sudanese children and their families.
Anna Montserrat “Xicana” and Marcelo González were the volunteer artists who brought their clown art to ease pain and create spaces of play and laughter for all these children. They share their experience in their own words.
Currently, more than one million refugees and asylum seekers live in Egypt, most of them coming from the conflict in Sudan. Through this expedition, we witnessed the significant challenges this population faces in accessing employment, basic services, and social rights.
UNHCR’s work in Cairo struck us as essential, particularly in registration, protection, and healthcare. However, the organization is facing a severe funding crisis that has forced it to reduce essential services, including life-saving medical treatments, affecting tens of thousands of refugees. We were also told that other facilities in different Egyptian cities have had to close, leaving only the Cairo office operational.
Security checks in areas where refugees live create a sense of insecurity that limits their mobility. In this context, activities and services are concentrated at UNHCR’s main office, considered the safest and most stable space. All our performances took place there to avoid unnecessary travel and reduce stress for the refugee population. On one occasion, when the UNHCR space was closed, we performed at a school in a neighborhood where Yemeni refugees live.
The beneficiaries were refugees from Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen, the majority from Sudan. We mainly performed for children and young people, although their families often joined as well.
When we arrived, we saw how exhausted they were. Many had spent the entire night waiting to be attended. Their sadness and despair were palpable. Yet, once the show began, their faces changed. They laughed as if, for a moment, the world had stopped and nothing else existed but play and connection. For a while, it seemed possible to forget the suffering they had endured. Parents also participated, happy to see their children relaxed and engaged. In those moments, the atmosphere was filled with joy.
Our performances had a stimulating and restorative effect on the audience. Humor, joy, and interaction helped reduce stress and created a safe space where children and families could relax and enjoy the moment.
According to UNHCR staff, the main impacts observed were an improvement in mood, increased social interaction, and a strong sense of connection among community members. That was precisely our intention: to create an atmosphere of support and joy where children and families could feel safe.
Collaboration with the UNHCR team was very smooth, and the positive impact on the community was evident. At Pallassos Sense Fronteres, we aim to continue offering similar activities in the near future, as Sudanese children are one of our priorities. We want to keep providing psychosocial support and bringing moments of joy to families.
Together, children, families, the UNHCR team, and ourselves, we became a team that turned into a breath of fresh air amid a difficult reality, a shared moment of relief in a city living under the constant weight of uncertainty.
Anna Montserrat “Xicana” & Marcelo González
Autorship UNHCR / Adeeba Amiry
