The UK has started evacuating British nationals from Sudan, where intense fighting between rival military forces has been raging for over a week. People have been told to make their own way to an airfield near the capital Khartoum, a potentially perilous journey in the middle of a precarious ceasefire.
Wathig Ali, a British citizen in Khartoum, is trying to return to the UK with his six-year-old child and pregnant wife. But he is struggling to find anyone who will take them to the airport, which is only an hour away by road. He is worried about the bombing and checkpoints on the way, as well as the lack of petrol and cash. He has tried the British embassy multiple times, but has received no help.
Back in the UK, families are wracked with worry about relatives in Sudan who they have not been able to contact for days due to broken lines of communication. British charity worker Yasmin Sholgami’s grandparents are stranded in Khartoum without food and water. Health issues and reports of gunfire and shelling mean the elderly couple are unable to travel to the airbase on their own. No-one can get to their house to take them, as they have been shot at by snipers.
An estimated 4,000 UK nationals are stuck in Sudan – among the highest number of foreign citizens there. Many have spent days stuck indoors with dwindling food and water supplies and no electricity or internet connection. British nationals told the BBC on Monday that they felt abandoned as other foreign nationals and British embassy workers were flown out. They also complained of poor communication from the Foreign Office’s crisis centre.
Javid Abdelmoneim’s elderly father was stuck alone in Khartoum, and received a call from officials asking him to make his way to the airbase. But there was no way to know if the Foreign Office had been able to get in contact with his dad, as he himself had not been able to reach him. His father ended up travelling with family members in an overland convoy on Monday to the Egyptian border.
British doctor Sarah Karrar’s 76-year-old mother Khadija and two of her brothers are stuck in Khartoum after what was supposed to be a brief visit for a family wedding. She has been able to speak to her mother but telecommunications are on and off, so it is difficult to get through.
On Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended the UK government’s approach to getting British citizens out of Sudan, following criticism that the Foreign Office was failing those stuck in Khartoum. He said more than 1,000 UK citizens in Sudan had been contacted about evacuation plans, and “many more” flights will leave on Wednesday.
The UK government has started evacuating British nationals from Sudan, where intense fighting between rival military forces has been ongoing for over a week. People have been instructed to make their way to an airfield near the capital Khartoum, though this is a potentially dangerous journey in the middle of a precarious ceasefire.
Wathig Ali is one of many British citizens trying to return home with his six-year-old child and pregnant wife, but he is having difficulty finding anyone who will take them to the airport. He is concerned about bombing and checkpoints on the way, as well as the lack of petrol and cash. He has attempted to contact the British embassy multiple times with no success.
Families in the UK are desperately worried about relatives in Sudan who they have not been able to contact due to broken lines of communication. British charity worker Yasmin Sholgami’s grandparents are stranded in Khartoum without food or water, unable to travel to the airbase on their own due to health issues and reports of gunfire and shelling. No-one can get to their house to take them as they have been shot at by snipers.
An estimated 4,000 UK nationals are stuck in Sudan – among the highest number of foreign citizens there – with many spending days stuck indoors with dwindling supplies and no electricity or internet connection. They have expressed feeling abandoned as other foreign nationals and British embassy workers were flown out, as well as poor communication from the Foreign Office’s crisis centre.
Javid Abdelmoneim’s elderly father was stuck alone in Khartoum, and received a call from officials asking him to make his way to the airbase. His father ended up travelling with family members in an overland convoy on Monday to the Egyptian border. British doctor Sarah Karrar’s 76-year-old mother Khadija and two of her brothers are also stuck in Khartoum after what was supposed to be a brief visit for a family wedding. She has been able to speak to her mother but telecommunications are on and off, making it difficult to get through.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended the UK government’s approach to getting British citizens out of Sudan, saying more than 1,000 UK citizens had been contacted about evacuation plans and “many more” flights will leave on Wednesday. If you are a British national who has been evacuated from Sudan or is still inside the country, you can share your experiences by emailing HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk or using other methods such as WhatsApp or Twitter.