‘Stray bullets rained from the sky’: UAE residents evacuated from Sudan share horrific stories – News

The matriarch of one of the families, Awatif Dawood, 70, shared the horrific circumstances they experienced when fighting broke out on April 15

Three Sudanese families holding UAE residency visas have been evacuated from the conflict-torn African country. They narrowly escaped death and violence, hastily left their homes and made the trek from Khartoum to Port Sudan, arriving safely in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

The matriarch of one of the families, 70-year-old Awatif Dawood, shared in an interview with Khaleej Times the horrific conditions they experienced when fighting broke out on April 15. The man who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has been at war ever since.

“Stray bullets are raining down from the sky,” she shared in horror, adding: “The explosion, the explosion was so loud. The kids were traumatized and they had nightmares.”

“We hid under our beds for hours until the explosions and gunfire temporarily died down. Then we pulled ourselves together and tried to calm everyone down. Thankfully, no one was hurt or hurt, but stray bullets filled the airspace of our home. Backyard,” she continued.

Daoud said everything is chaotic now. There is a severe shortage of food. Water and electricity are scarce. Bakeries and food stores remain closed. It has become a living nightmare.

Daoud pointed out that Sudan, especially Khartoum, where fighting has entered its third week, has become a desolate place. “Two warring parties were chasing each other in our area. They ransacked our house and ate all our food. They kicked us out and made us leave for our own safety,” she added.

“We were so frightened and terrified that we decided to leave the house immediately. We walked out without anything and headed to a remote area in Khartoum.”

After a brief ceasefire was declared, the three families – mother and six-month-old child – decided to find a way to get to Port Sudan.

Daoud said: “We heard that the UAE government is evacuating its citizens, residents and people from different countries. We took three vehicles to Subba on the outskirts of Khartoum, and from there we took a bus to Port Sudan. Walked for more than 14 hours.

“Then we reached Port Sudan, where the UAE government arranged hotels for us until they evacuated us and brought us here safely,” she added.

The atmosphere at Abu Dhabi’s Terminal 2 on Saturday was one of relief for evacuees. This can be summed up with a picture of an elderly Sudanese woman who was not only warmly welcomed but also embraced by Emirates Red Crescent volunteers as well as white and red roses, she couldn’t hold back her tears.

“We are very lucky that we have escaped death and violence in Sudan,” Dawood told Khaleej Times, adding: “We are very lucky that we belong to the UAE and its government does not discriminate against its citizens and residents or any humanitarian situation. .”

She continued: “The UAE is always the first to respond to humanitarian missions anywhere in the world. It reaches out to those stranded by war or natural disasters.”

“On behalf of all three of our families involved, I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to the UAE government and its people for saving our lives and providing us with peace, care and love,” Dawood shared bitterly.