A family from Chicago have been trapped in war-torn Sudan while visiting their relatives – while the US embassy told them to hunker down in place rather than evacuating them.
Azza Hamad, her husband, their two young children, her mother and brother all arrived in Omdurman, Sudan on April 15 for a Ramadan trip – soon before the bloody conflict erupted.
The family, who are all US citizens, are currently waiting at the border after making the dangerous journey through Sudan, desperate to get to Egypt to eventually return to the US. But it could still take days without the help of the US embassy.
At least 512 people have been killed and close to 4,200 wounded since April 15 in the fighting between the army and a rival paramilitary force – the Rapid Support Forces – which are locked in a power struggle that threatens to destabilize the wider region.
Azza’s father, who is living in Chicago, slammed the US for not doing enough for their citizens amid the outbreak of war – and accused them of failing to have a plan in place.
Embassy staff were evacuated and airlifted from Khartoum, but Azza and her five relatives – including kids aged four and one – were instead told to brave out the deadly situation.
Abubakr Hamad, who said that his daughter has broken down in tears over the phone because of the ordeal, told the Daily Beast: ‘Everything was normal when they first arrived.
‘But then I heard from a friend that there is some movement in town—for the last two weeks, there were some little [clashes] here and there, but it seemed to be a serious time.
‘Jets started flying off here and there, and the kids were so scared.
Azza Hamad, her husband, their two young children, her mother and brother all arrived in Omdurman, Sudan on April 15 for a Ramadan trip before the Sunday conflict started
Abubakr Hamad, who said that his daughter has broken down in tears over the phone because of the ordeal
Smoke is seen in Khartoum, Sudan. Over 500 people have been killed following the fighting between the army and a rival paramilitary force
‘They don’t know what’s going on… They can hear the sound of bombs here and there and even from their place they could see the jets flying over their heads and towards the target from the air base.’
There was ‘nothing they could do’ and had to wait for the embassy – who told the family they needed shelter in place until further instruction.
The US still did not evacuate the family, and the horrors continued to unfold despite a ceasefire on Monday. The embassy told the family they could try and get to Port Sudan to facilitate an evacuation on their own.
However, the fraught journey to get there would entail crossing Khartoum, where fighting is fierce and deadly.
The father blasted: ‘I don’t think [the U.S.] did enough.
‘They did a great job evacuating the embassy staff, which was very quick and nothing happened. That was a good job, but they should do a good job on the ground. They should do more.
‘I don’t think they have a very clear plan like other countries, other countries had a plan and took out their citizens.’
Abubakr has spent sleepless nights on the phone to his family members – calling them every hour – trying to plan their escape from the country.
Azza Hamad and her family decided their best bet was to get to Egypt. They boarded a public bus for 14 hours after finally securing tickets, and undertook the long journey before reaching the city Wadi Halfa in Sudan.
But the border is ‘chaotic’ and there are ‘so many requirements to cross,’ according to Abubakr. Fraught families with the same ideas as Azza have lead to a massive influx of people trying to escape to Egypt.
They believe they’ll have to wait 24 hours at the border, but then they have to make the tiresome journey to Cairo before boarding a flight back to the US.
On Tuesday, the US State Department said: ‘There are options to depart Sudan, but you must decide the safest and best method of departure for yourself and your family.
‘We cannot guarantee your safety in movement. The United States government advises that travel is at your own risk.’
Today, marines were pictured at the U.S. Embassy folding the national flag in Sudan’s war-torn capital, Khartoum, before 100 elite troops evacuated diplomatic staff.
A burned vehicle is seen in Khartoum, Sudan April 26, 2023 amid the fierce fighting
Some 16,000 American citizens are still trapped in the country and there have been two U.S. deaths resulting from the conflict, which started 12 days ago.
The images show the flag being lowered by the Marine Security Guard Detachment at a flag-folding ceremony.
The U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Sudan, John T. Godfrey, oversaw the proceedings.
The United States and African nations were racing to secure an extension of a ceasefire in Sudan on Thursday.
On Saturday, the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum suspended its operations and ordered staff to leave the country.
While embassy staff were airlifted out, there were no plans to provide similar evacuations for potentially thousands of Americans still in Sudan.
Instead, it provided details on border crossings that are available and the requirements needed at each location.
Damaged buildings are seen following clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in South Khartoum
This video grab taken from AFPTV video footage on April 20, 2023, shows an aerial view of black smoke rising above the Khartoum International Airport amid ongoing battles between the forces of two rival generals
It cautioned that fighting continues and that many routes are dangerous and unpredictable.
While the U.S. says it’s too dangerous to get its citizens out, other countries are proceeding with evacuations of their nationals.
France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, Holland, Turkey, Japan, South Korea, Jordan, South Africa, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are among the countries that have evacuated their citizens and those of other countries.
Battles between two rival Sudanese commanders had forced the closing of the main international airport and left roads out of the country in control of armed fighters. The skirmishes have killed more than 400 people.
In a statement thanking the troops, President Joe Biden said he was receiving regular reports from his team on efforts to assist remaining Americans in Sudan ‘to the extent possible’.
He also called for the end to ‘unconscionable’ violence there.
About 100 U.S. troops in three MH-47 helicopters carried out the operation to get US Embassy workers out of Sudan. They airlifted roughly 70 remaining American employees from a landing zone at the embassy to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia.
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