…Researched and contributed by Henry George for TDPel Media.
British national, Nadir Omara, who is currently sheltering in Khartoum, Sudan, has expressed confusion over the UK government’s plans to evacuate citizens stuck in the conflict-ridden area.
The government launched an operation to help around 2,000 citizens flee the ongoing fighting, following a 72-hour ceasefire agreed by the warring factions.
Omara, a consultant psychiatrist, travelled to Khartoum to celebrate Eid with friends and family on April 13, just two days before the fighting broke out.
Currently staying in a flat near one of the city’s main roads, he said that communication with the government was “very intermittent (and) haphazard – sometimes they do work, sometimes they don’t.”
In an interview with PA news agency, Omara said he had already emailed the local MP, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for more guidance.
He said that the embassy or consulate services were not reachable, so he and his fellow Britons had to rely on news and services in the area.
He added that there was no clarity on how the evacuation was going to be conducted.
Although the government announced the evacuation plans, Omara is still remaining in Khartoum for the time being, saying he hasn’t been out since the fighting started and he can only go by the advice of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office to stay safe.
He also expressed concern about how he will explain to his daughters what has happened to their grandmothers who were left behind.
He said that things were getting scarce, but he had enough food for another three or four days, and he hoped that most people would have been evacuated by then.
Omara also explained that the evacuation represented a moral dilemma for him as he wanted to help his hospital patients who continue to call him.
He added, “this is a country that cannot tolerate any further setbacks.
The people here cannot tolerate any more hardship – it’s hard as it is.”