After fighting arose in Sudan last month, thousands of foreign nationals, diplomats and aid workers evacuated on ships and military planes. But some Sudanese people remain trapped because mainly Western embassies emptied with their passports still inside.
For more than two weeks, Heba Elshich has been stuck in a war zone. Britain has her passport, and she has no way out of Sudan. The 34-year-old Sudanese citizen was waiting for the British Embassy to return her passport with a U.K. visa whenerupted April 15 between warring Sudanese generals. As bombardments and gun battles broke out, foreign embassies abruptly shut down.Within days, thousands of foreign nationals, diplomats and aid workers evacuated on ships and military planes.
At least 500 civilians have been killed from the fighting and compounding humanitarian crises, according to the United Nations. In desperation, people have turned to WhatsApp groups and social media to crowdsource news and emergency help.For Elshich, it has already become a matter of death. A consultant who specializes in migration, Elshich sent an email to the U.K.
A U.K. government spokesperson, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under agency protocol, said in an email that “due to the ongoing conflict, we have had no option but to close the Visa Application Centre in Khartoum,” which is run by the global processing company TLScontact. “Where an individual is eligible to come to the U.K., we are doing everything possible to provide support, recognising that many people are facing very challenging circumstances and decisions,” the statement read.
Yasir Elabbas, 26, said he tried to call and email the Indian Embassy regarding his passport but received no reply. He had planned to pursue a master’s degree in India. His family is just across the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia. But Elabbas cannot reach them.
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