Canadians awaiting flight out of Sudan are under stress, running low on supplies

A group of Canadians gathered at Sudan’s military airport are stressed and facing hot weather, low cell phone batteries and a lack of food and money, as they wait for a rescue flight out of the country.

“The situation here is not very good,” said Gamiela Elsied, a Sudanese Canadian who made the treacherous journey to the airport, located north of the capital Khartoum, two days ago and is still waiting for her flight to leave after her desired flight was cancelled.

Elsied is among hundreds of Canadians trying to get out of Sudan after a power struggle erupted between the country’s military and the rival paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) earlier this month.

Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand said about 250 Canadians have been able to leave Sudan so far. But Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has previously indicated there are hundreds who want Canada’s help to get out.

It is not easy to travel

In an interview with CBC News Network on Friday, Elsied said she drove 11 hours from Sudan’s Gezira country to the airport.

It is not an easy journey, with gas that is difficult to come by and serious safety problems become apparent.

“Part of the road is safe, but as we approach Khartoum, we start to see RSF and [Sudanese] army,” he said.

Elsied said that she and other friends at the airport faced their own challenges to get in, only to have nowhere to go.

“And we all feel like nothing, because we hope to get out of here now.”

He said people waiting at the airport were suffering from high temperatures, on top of the stress of the situation.

“I’ve been here since yesterday, but everyone else, it’s Day 3 or Day 4 for them, and we’re just waiting indefinitely.”

As for Elsied, she just wants a way out — even if she’s not sure it’ll be on a Canadian plane.

“I hope they can work with the British, because they have been bringing them regularly,” said Elsied, who expressed hope that the Canadian plane would soon arrive.

Seeing what other governments have done to deport people, Elsied feels critical of Ottawa’s own efforts.

“I see other countries evacuating their people and I know it can be done,” he said.

“I lived in Canada for 26 years and I look forward to many more [a] times like these.”