London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jan 23, 2025

NHS doctors stranded in Sudan claim UK not giving enough support

NHS doctors stranded in Sudan claim UK not giving enough support

Two doctors employed by the UK’s National Health Service said they missed the last flight out of Khartoum on Saturday because it was too dangerous to travel, and accused the UK of not giving them enough support.
Sudanese Irish doctor Mustafa Abbas, 44, and his 38-year-old Sudanese British wife Sarra Eljak are currently in Wad Madani, 220 km south of the capital, with their four children: Danya, 12, Menna, 11, Anne, seven, and Mohammed, six months. They are over 800 km from Port Sudan, from where they hope to catch a ship to Saudi Arabia.

Eljak told PA Media: “It’s extremely dangerous to reach the evacuation site (in Khartoum) and the area is still experiencing attacks.

“I can’t take this risk with my children. They (the UK government) should consider people with families. I don’t want to put my kids’ life in danger. I feel like we have been left without support.”

Eljak, from Slough in southeast England, said she had concerns about the “very long journey” to Port Sudan with her young children in tow.

“I came with my six-month-old baby who was born premature. He takes a certain type of formula milk and now I run out of this. This place where I’m staying right now, there is a pandemic of malaria.”

Abbas added: “As a father, it’s really difficult. Every minute of every day, (the children) ask you when we are going to leave. They say, ‘we are homesick, we miss our friends,’ and it’s difficult to give them any answers.

“The big countries are just leaving the military and militia to fight and kill innocent people. At the end of the day, we are all human and we should look after each other.”

The couple and their children were in Sudan to see out the holy month of Ramadan with family in Khartoum. They planned to leave on April 24 after celebrating Eid Al-Fitr.

Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces broke out in the capital and elsewhere on April 15, forcing the family to flee to Wad Madani.

“All of a sudden, we just woke up hearing shooting guns and military helicopters everywhere,” Eljak told the Guardian. “Our front door was shot at and we found the bullets inside the house. At any point you have the sense that you are going to lose one of your family members.”

Eljak said she was worried about the effect the situation was having on her family.

“If they (the children) hear the bang of a closing door, they scream. They all went through different panic attacks. My oldest girl, Danya, refused to eat and drink for four days.

“Every one of my kids are saying if they arrive in the UK safely, they will never come back to Sudan. This makes a tear in my heart.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Germany’s Democracy Under Strain: Political Labeling Sparks Free Speech Concerns
The Trump Era 2: A Time of Dramatic and Profound Change
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Suggests Bitcoin Could Reach $700,000 with Increased Institutional Investment
Leaked Documents Reveal Google's Collaboration with Israeli Defense Forces During Gaza Conflict
Trump to Announce $500 Billion AI Infrastructure Investment
Dear President Donald Trump, I want to assure you that this fraud does NOT reflect the opinions of the majority of decent British citizens.
Olaf Scholz vs. Elon Musk: A Battle Over Common Sense, Which Scholz Appears to Be Missing
EU’s Overregulation Drives Innovation Collapse and Brain Drain
Five Billionaires on Track to Break One Trillion Dollar Wealth Barrier
TikTok Restored in the U.S. Following Trump inauguration
Bill Ackman Praises Social Media Platform X as 'The New Media'
Argentina Achieves Record Trade Surplus in 2024 Under President Milei
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Proposes Rome as European Union Capital
France Urges EU to Act on Musk's Political Influence as Tensions Rise
Former Special Forces Blast Defense Ministry for Revealing Sensitive Details
Celebrity Responses to California Wildfires: Charity, Criticism, and Controversy
The Wildfires of Los Angeles: A Devastating Impact on Celebrities and California's Leadership
Tragic Loss: Teenager's Death Sparks Community Reflection in Bedford and London
UK Government Proposes Cap on Resale Ticket Prices to Combat Touts
Greenland's Future Caught in Diplomatic Crossfire Between Trump and Europe
EU Prepared to Lead Support for Ukraine Amid US Uncertainty, Says Estonian Prime Minister
Brompton E-Bike Component Diverted to UK Military Drone Production, Causes Delays
Romanian Gang Convicted of Human Trafficking and Exploitation in Dundee
Persistent Cold Snap Grips the UK: Severe Frost and Snow Disrupt Daily Life
Germany Faces Alarming Rise in Homelessness, New Report Shows
China’s Appetite for Salmon: A Game Changer in Global Seafood Markets
Russian Bots Allegedly Amplified NATO Critic Prior to Croatian Election, Researchers Reveal
Armenia Considers EU Membership Referendum Amid Strained Ties with Russia
French Finance Minister Explores Pension Reform Compromise to Secure Budget Agreement
Armenia Considers EU Referendum Amid Growing Rift with Russia
New Wildfire Ignites in Los Angeles as Region Battles Devastating Blazes
The Espionage Unraveled: A Russian Spy Network's Intricacies in the UK
U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Trump's Bid to Delay Sentencing in Hush Money Case
UK Financial Markets Remain Calm Amid Rising Government Borrowing Costs
Stellantis Achieves UK Electric Vehicle Sales Mandate Amid Factory Closure
TikTok Faces Potential Ban in the United States Amid Security Concerns
Pound Plummets to 14-Month Low Amid Concerns Over UK Borrowing Costs
Tensions Rise Over Planned Pro-Palestinian March in London
Bomb Scare in Central London: Abandoned Car Sparks Panic Near Regent Street
Police Seek Suspect in Antisemitic Incident at Liverpool Street Station
Regulatory Reprimand for London Charity Over Fundraising for Israeli Soldier
The Duchess of Sussex Mourns Devastating Loss of Beloved Rescue Dog
From Chairman to Controversial Politician: Rupert Lowe's Journeys in Business and Politics
Metropolitan Police Halts Pro-Palestine March Near BBC Due to Proximity to Synagogue
Inside Warwick Hospital: A Glimpse into the NHS's Battle Against Winter Pressures
Chappell Roan: A Synth-Pop Sensation Emerges as BBC Sound Of 2025 Winner
Search Intensifies for Missing Aberdeen Sisters Eliza and Henrietta Huszti
Pioneering Drug Consumption Room Opens in Glasgow
Ryanair Initiates Legal Action Against Disruptive Passenger in Landmark Case
Former Brexit Negotiator Oliver Robbins Appointed Top Civil Servant at UK Foreign Office
×