Indians stranded amid Sudan crisis: Worried relatives appeal to govt for evacuation of family members

Anxious relatives of several Indians stuck in Sudan following the fighting between the Army and paramilitary forces are eagerly waiting for information about their relatives, and appealed to the government to evacuate them from the strife-torn African country as soon as possible.

Fighting erupted in Sudan on Saturday, leaving at least 185 people, including an Indian, dead, and more than 1,800 injured.

Mansi Sheth, whose father is stuck in the country following the clashes between the Sudanese army and a rival paramilitary force, said she was worried about his safety.

She said her 63-year-old father was in Sudan on a business trip, and was to fly back to Mumbai on Saturday (April 15). He was at the airport when they were informed that the flight was cancelled. He, along with other passengers, was not allowed to leave the airport. After a few hours when they were finally allowed to leave, they had to walk back to their hotels as there was no conveyance available.

"I am worried about my father as he is a senior citizen with health issues. I could briefly speak to him this morning (Wednesday), but after that, there is no contact. We just want to know if he is safe or not," Sheth told PTI.

"He has sleep apnea that requires him to be on anti-seizure medication, and he also uses a medical device (CPAP) which unfortunately was checked in at the airport on Saturday. That is the main reason why we are so desperate to get him out of Sudan, because he only has enough medication for the next three days," she said.

There is no power in many areas of the city, and the hotel in which Sheth's father is staying is running on a generator which has limited capacity.

Sheth said she also has some relatives in Sudan who told her that the security situation is very bad in the country, and despite the announcement of a ceasefire, there is no cessation of violence.

India is coordinating closely with various countries, including the US, the UK and Saudi Arabia, to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals in violence-hit Sudan, government sources said in New Delhi on Wednesday.

They said the ground situation in Sudan is "very tense" and the movement of people is "very risky" at this stage.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has already spoken to his counterparts in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over the situation in Sudan and they assured him of practical support on the ground for the safety of the Indians in the country.

Sheth said her relatives told her that Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is on a looting spree, and even taking away residents' cars. People have been told to puncture their cars and empty their fuel tanks so that they can prevent the RSF from taking away their cars.

She added that she has full faith in the government and urged them to soon evacuate all the Indians stranded there.

Another woman, who did not want to be identified, told PTI that her husband is stuck at a hotel in Khartoum. She said guests of the hotel are hiding in the hotel basement to save their lives.

• Dubai Airports offers support to Sudanese passengers affected by flight cancellations