Ethiopian Refugees in Sudan Celebrate World Refugee Day with Football Match
Ethiopian refugees celebrate World Refugee Day at Camp 6 in Blue Nile region, Sudan.
Young Ethiopian refugees who fled violence and persecution in Tigray and other regions celebrated this year’s World Refugee Day by playing a hotly-contested football match at Camp 6 in Blue Nile region, Sudan.
The match between the two WTI-supported refugee schools kicked off at 4:00pm with parents, teachers, siblings and other spectators enthusiastically supporting each side.
Sporting football jerseys and shorts, the players dribbled, lobbed and dived - some of them barefoot - to determine which school, A or B, would earn the winning cup. In the end, School A scored two goals to win the match with a 2-0 victory, with celebrations continuing late into the evening in the camp.
Ethiopian students from Camp 6’s School A and School B compete for the cup — some without any shoes.
Younger boys watch the match unfold in Camp 6.
School A, in yellow and red, won the cup with a 2-0 victory.
School A’s MVP receives the cup at the end of a day (and match) that everyone will remember.
The football match was just one of many activities organised by WTI that day to celebrate World Refugee Day. Traditional music and dancing was also arranged, as were events in the camp’s women’s centre. Staff from UNHCR, WTI and the French humanitarian organisation ACTED addressed the students and the wider refugee community on the day.
World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe. It is celebrated each year on 20 June to honour the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution.
This year’s theme was "Solidarity with Refugees", emphasising the need for compassion, support and inclusion for those forced to flee their homes. It is a call to action to stand together, listen to refugees' stories, and support their right to seek safety.
WTI-organised activities such as dancing and music also took place all across Camp 6, and in the women’s centre.
It was a joyful day of activities that Camp 6 welcomed with open arms.
The refugees expressed their happiness and appreciation that UNHCR and WTI organised the day’s activities and said they hoped more events like this could be celebrated in the camp, as it encouraged them to contribute to a global event and made them feel connected to the rest of the world.