Musa’s Journey of Resilience and Recovery

As a casual home interior decorator in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, Musa was following his usual daily routine in December 2023 near a bustling market in the suburbs of Hajj when a sudden explosion shattered his life. Trying to suppress his emotions, Musa recalls desperately the series of events that affected his life. “There was an explosion and the next thing I knew was that I was on the ground bleeding,” said Musa.

Seriously injured in both legs, Musa was taken to the nearest hospital in Khartoum. However, his family struggled to get him the treatment he needed. “The hospital asked for a lot of money, which I did not have, so I was taken home,” he said. It took four days for his family to raise the money. By then, sepsis had set in. It was at this point that doctors told him that the only option was to amputate both his legs below the knees, to prevent the contagion from spreading to the rest of the body. 

“The smell from the damaged tissue convinced me to agree immediately,” he says, quietly. But Musa’s biggest concern was not only the loss of his limbs, it was also how his wife would react. “Please feel free to return to your parents’ home if you are going to have a problem spending the rest of your life with a legless husband,” he told her. He was left speechless by her response. She chose to stay and offered him unwavering support throughout his recovery.

As conflict intensified around Khartoum, Musa and his family made the painful decision to flee Sudan. The journey to safety in South Sudan took more than three months. They eventually arrived at Wedweil Refugee Settlement in Northern Bahr El Ghazal State in March 2025, joining thousands of other refugees and returnees from Sudan. It was there that Musa first heard about the ICRC and its assistance to persons with amputation. He soon made his way to the PRC in Juba, a decision that would change his life again.