Humanitarian workers in Sudan share harrowing story fleeing war-torn nation

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Updated 12 May 2023
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Humanitarian workers in Sudan share harrowing story fleeing war-torn nation

Humanitarian workers in Sudan share harrowing story fleeing war-torn nation
  • UN rescuers refused Sudanese from joining escape convoys, claims head of NGO
  • 15 doctors killed, health workers targeted, says Sudanese American Physicians Association

CHICAGO: The American director of a major humanitarian aid organization and a Sudanese doctor working to provide medical care in the African country have shared their personal experiences navigating bullets and bombs as they fled the violence in Sudan last month.

Preferring anonymity, the woman director of the major NGO that provides healthcare to more than 200,000 refugees, migrants and asylum seekers, shared details of her story on The Ray Hanania Radio Show sponsored by Arab News.

She described how the violence erupted around her home and offices in Khartoum on April 15 and the harrowing exodus of some 50 people she led to safety — through warring factions, nights filled with explosions and bombings, as well as checkpoints manned by jittery young armed militia members.

 

“The evacuation plans by the international community were flawed if not nonexistent. We had hoped to join the UN convoy to Port Sudan. We had a bus that we had arranged. And I was going to take 50 people, four who are international staff of mine that we were able to get from my international staff to the hotel, thanks again to the Sudanese, our guards, (who) made four round trips to get them to safety,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion.

“We were all in the hotel and at midnight the night before we were supposed to leave (but) we found out that our bus was outbid by the UN. So we were willing to pay a certain amount and the UN doubled it so they could take our bus in their convoy. So we were left stranded without transport.”

People desperate to get out split from the group leaving her with about 20 people, mostly Sudanese volunteers and workers. Making it more difficult. She said the UN added an additional hurdle by only allowing non-Sudanese nationals to join the UN-sanctioned convoy out of the war zone.

“They (the UN) also had a mandate that Sudanese would not be allowed in the convoy. And when I found that out, I said that is unfair. I am not leaving my Sudanese family,” she said, referring to the growing entourage of scared people desperate to flee the violence.

Not being able to travel with a UN convoy, she said the group she was with was forced to regroup. They detoured hoping to get to El-Gadarif (Al-Qadarif) where her NGO also had a large operation and would be able to help.

The remaining group stayed in the basement of the As-Salam Hotel in Khartoum. As they waited, more people desperate to leave begged to join them. Saying she could not possibly say no to anyone, they packed 26 people, all Sudanese except for six other nationals, into four sports utility vehicles, creating a new convoy. They had to pay a black-market rate of $110 per gallon of gasoline for the vehicles.

 

“When we left, there were bodies on the street, buildings bombed out. Military vehicles burned out. It was clear there had been the day before a lot of fighting. There was bombing right around the hotel. We were in a bunker in the basement for about an hour as air strikes were happening,” she recalled.

“They bombed a bank right next door to the hotel, which was the impetus for us saying we have got to move. We were able to get out of Khartoum without incident. We were moving very slowly, the convoy of four (vehicles). The paramilitary let us through.”

The scenes she saw were bizarre, with intense violence and bombing in some areas and peace and tranquility and business as usual in areas just 15 minutes away from the hotel, that took 45 minutes to navigate. “Life was normal. Public transport was working, shops were open. People were on the streets.”

As they got further away from the fighting in Khartoum, she said the Sudanese in homes they passed came out and greeted convoys and offered food and water to those fleeing the fighting.

 

“We made it to Madani, had a bunch of falafel sandwiches, our first meal for a couple of days and then we made it to Gadarif. That whole trip usually takes about six hours. It took us about nine. Along the way, there were beautiful young Sudanese on the road holding signs saying: ‘For those of you coming from Khartoum we can protect you in our village.’

“They were handing out water and food. I get very emotional remembering those moments because that is Sudan. That is who the Sudanese are. They will give you everything even if it means they will take nothing. And the beauty of Sudan and its people will not be broken by this conflict. They took care of the international staff, putting themselves at risk because that is who the Sudanese are.”

Instead of going to Port Sudan, they instead crossed the border into Ethiopia and drove to the safe environs of Gondar. She then traveled to Addis Ababa, from where she recently flew back to the US. She said she is planning to return to Sudan as soon as possible.

Dr. Hafeez AbdelHafeez, a board member of the Sudanese American Physicians Association and surgeon with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, shared a similar story. SAPA consists of doctors and surgeons who went into the war zone to treat the injured. Two Americans and one SAPA doctor, Dr. Bushra Suleiman, had been killed 10 days after the fighting began.

AbdelHafeez said he arrived in Sudan with his young children to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr only five hours before the fighting erupted on April 15. He described the situation in Khartoum as “disastrous” and said the bombings and gunfights destroyed homes, hospitals and schools in many areas of Khartoum and other Sudanese cities.

 

“It is a devastating, brutal war that erupted in a very sort of strange time. It was a festive time. The end of Ramadan. The Eid. People were expecting a political agreement to be signed and to transition the government back to civilian government. And then this fighting between those two generals erupted,” AbdelHafeez said, adding that there was no way to immediately estimate how many people have been killed.

“But what I (can) tell, what is sad about this war is seeing an escalation on targeting health workers and health facilities. Seventeen hospitals (have) been bombed. Twenty hospitals (have) been forcefully evacuated. More than 15 physicians (have) been killed. And you know ambulances had been confiscated. It is just a brutal war with no ethics whatsoever.”

AbdelHafeez said Suleiman was a personal friend. He described him as a champion for patient rights who went back home to help his people.

“This is a war in the city, on the streets of this city … Bullets going through the wall,” he said. “It is a very difficult situation now.”

While Khartoum was under siege, he said he and his children were able to find refuge in the Sudanese city of Madani.

AbdelHafeez said SAPA plans to open a new office in Khartoum to provide supplies and salaries to medical workers who are operating dozens of hospitals and healthcare facilities.

You can listen to the radio show’s podcast by visiting ArabNews.com/rayradioshow.

 


US allocates $73m to UNRWA amid funding crisis

Palestinians carry bags of flour received as aid to poor families, at the UNRWA distribution center, in the Rafah refugee camp.
Palestinians carry bags of flour received as aid to poor families, at the UNRWA distribution center, in the Rafah refugee camp.
Updated 42 min 49 sec ago
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US allocates $73m to UNRWA amid funding crisis

Palestinians carry bags of flour received as aid to poor families, at the UNRWA distribution center, in the Rafah refugee camp.
  • UNRWA requires between $170 and $190 million just to keep its services running until the end of the year

LONDON: US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced an additional $73 million in funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, Jordan Press Agency reported on Sunday. 

The ambassador said that the funding would help supply food to needy families, provide healthcare for children and pregnant women, assist students in furthering their education, and support people affected by the conflict through mental health services.

It will also provide emergency humanitarian assistance to residents of Jenin and Ain Al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camps, both of which have suffered from recent violence. 

Earlier on Thursday, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said the funding crisis for Palestinian refugees in Jordan and other host countries has created an “absolutely unbearable” situation that could soon approach a tipping point. 

Lazzarini said that the agency required between $170 and $190 million just to keep its activities in Jordan, Lebanon, Gaza and elsewhere running until the end of the year. 

Jordan’s King Abdullah II told the UNGA in New York on Tuesday that the world must not abandon Palestinian refugees to the forces of despair. 

“In Jordan, where refugees make up over a third of our 11 million population, cuts have already thrown the lives of hundreds of thousands of refugees into uncertainty. The impact of such humanitarian shortfalls is never limited to a country or region,” the king said.

Despite several UN member states pledging Thursday to boost their contributions to UNRWA, the agency still only has the means to provide services until October.


Kuwait, China sign 7 agreements for major construction work

Kuwait, China sign 7 agreements for major construction work
Updated 24 September 2023
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Kuwait, China sign 7 agreements for major construction work

Kuwait, China sign 7 agreements for major construction work
  • Projects include completion of port, renewable energy, low-carbon recycling, water treatment schemes

LONDON: Kuwait and China have signed seven memorandums of understanding on large-scale construction projects, Kuwait News Agency reported on Sunday.

The agreements were signed during Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s visit to Hangzhou at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games.

It was the crown prince’s second meeting with Xi since the Gulf Cooperation Council-China Summit for Cooperation and Development in December in Saudi Arabia.

Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister Saad Al-Barrak described the visit as “very important,” with the government working to update its 2035 vision.

The first agreement is for completion of Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port.

“Around 50 percent of the first phase of Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port is complete, and we seek to finalize the first phase in order to launch and operate the port as swiftly as possible,” Al-Barrak said.

“China excels in construction and other domains like management and operation of the port, so we have signed the MoU and will continue the talks on execution.”

Other agreements were signed for projects including renewable energy, creation of a low-carbon recycling green system, water treatment station infrastructure, and economic and free zones.

Jassem Al-Ostad, Kuwait’s minister of electricity, water and renewable energy, said the crown prince gave instructions to build renewable energy stations in order to supply clean and affordable energy, while also honoring Kuwait’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Another MoU outlines the development of advanced housing cities in Kuwait as part of the government plans to offer housing care for citizens.

During the visit, Sheikh Mishal and Xi discussed ways to expand bilateral relations.

Xi said that Kuwait was the first Gulf country to establish relations with Beijing in 1971, and that the Kuwait Fund was instrumental in providing loans to China in the 1980s.

The crown prince also met with Huawei executives to strengthen Kuwait’s partnership with the company in information technology and communication services.


UAE FM meets UN secretary general on sidelines of UNGA assembly

UAE FM meets UN secretary general on sidelines of UNGA assembly
Updated 24 September 2023
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UAE FM meets UN secretary general on sidelines of UNGA assembly

UAE FM meets UN secretary general on sidelines of UNGA assembly
  • Discussions focused on partnerships in humanitarian aid, renewable energy, climate action

LONDON: UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Emirates News Agency reported.

Discussions focused on UAE-UN partnerships in a variety of sectors, including humanitarian aid, renewable energy, climate action and sustainable development.

Sheikh Abdullah and Guterres reviewed the outcomes of the UAE’s membership of the UN Security Council from 2022 to 2023, as well as its contributions to international peace and security, and humanitarian response operations and initiatives aimed at tackling global challenges.

The meeting discussed the UAE’s preparations for hosting the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in November in Dubai.

Sheikh Abdullah said that the UAE recognized the need to expedite the global response to climate change to achieve peace and security, and that the country looked forward to leveraging climate challenges into opportunities that drove sustainable and economic development.

The two officials also addressed developments in the Middle East, exchanged views on a number of regional and global issues of mutual interest, as well as challenges to international peace and security.

Guterres thanked the UAE for its strengthened engagement with the UN and its hosting of COP28.

The meeting was attended by several UAE officials, including Reem bint Ibrahim Al-Hashimy, minister of state for international cooperation, Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, permanent representative to the UN, Mohamed Issa Abu Shehab, deputy permanent representative to the UN, and Majid Al Suwaidi, special representative of COP28.

 


All 120 workers rescued after Nile cruise ship accident in Egypt

Nile cruise ships and feluccas are moored off the river bank of Egypt’s southern city of Luxor. (File/AFP)
Nile cruise ships and feluccas are moored off the river bank of Egypt’s southern city of Luxor. (File/AFP)
Updated 24 September 2023
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All 120 workers rescued after Nile cruise ship accident in Egypt

Nile cruise ships and feluccas are moored off the river bank of Egypt’s southern city of Luxor. (File/AFP)
  • There were no guests on board the ship, which was heading to Luxor Governorate in the south of Egypt

CAIRO: All 120 workers on board a Nile cruise ship that partially sank after it collided with a bridge have been rescued. 

The collision caused a hole in the lower right side of the Tivoli Nile ship in Minya Governorate in Upper Egypt, officials said.

There were no guests on board the ship, which was heading to Luxor Governorate in the south of Egypt.

The Public Prosecution is investigating the incident.

Authorities said they were working with the company that owns the floating hotel, while Mohammed Amer, head of the Department of Hotel Establishments, Shops, and Tourist Activities at the ministry, said the ship’s tourism operating license expired last May and had not been renewed.

It was recently at a workshop in Helwan, south of Cairo, for necessary repairs and maintenance work to allow it to operate during the upcoming winter season, starting next month.

Amer said that, after completing all maintenance work, the management of the vessel obtained a passage permit from Cairo to Luxor for the necessary inspections by Ministry of Tourism officials to renew its license in preparation for the start of October.

The River Transport Authority said that it granted a temporary permit for the ship to leave the repair shop to its own berth on Aug. 23 until it obtained the rest of the necessary licenses from the other relevant authorities.


Jordan, UK delegations review bilateral cooperation

Jordan, UK delegations review bilateral cooperation
Updated 24 September 2023
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Jordan, UK delegations review bilateral cooperation

Jordan, UK delegations review bilateral cooperation
  • Jordanian MPs advocated for increasing British investment in Jordan, medical tourism promotion

LONDON: The Jordanian-British Parliamentary Friendship Association met a UK delegation of Conservative MPs on Sunday in Amman to discuss opportunities for cooperation between the two countries, Jordan News Agency reported.

Dina Bashir, the association’s president, emphasized the strength of Jordanian-British relations, which she attributed to the country’s respective leaderships.

Bashir underscored Jordan’s commitment to political, economic and administrative modernization under the leadership of King Abdullah II, with the goal of improving Jordanians’ lives in a range of sectors.

Bashir expressed Jordan’s position on the Palestinian cause while applauding the king’s efforts to resolve the conflict on local, regional and international levels. She also emphasized the importance of Jordanian custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem in sustaining the historical coexistence of Muslims and Christians.

Highlighting Jordan’s long-standing tradition of welcoming refugees, Bashir noted the influx of Syrian refugees and its impact on the host country’s infrastructure. She urged the international community to fulfill its responsibilities toward Jordan so it could continue to play its humanitarian role.

Bashir campaigned for the expansion and marketing of Jordanian products in the UK, as well as boosting economic and tourism collaboration.

Several Jordanian MPs also advocated for increasing British investment in Jordan, medical tourism promotion, and British tourists visiting the country.

The UK delegation highlighted the need to strengthen bilateral ties in the economic, commercial, agricultural and tourism sectors. They also acknowledged Jordan’s critical role in the refugee crisis as well as its efforts to ensure regional security and stability.