Story of Ali Amjad: The UN will not abandon Sudan
52 UN staff and dependents arrive in Entebbe, Uganda, after being evacuated from Sudan (Photo: Carolina Lessa)
1st May 2023
Ali Amjad, Security Officer at the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), was evacuated with his wife and three daughters on the 23rd of April amid the conflict in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. It took them nearly four days to reach Entebbe, Uganda, after a perilous journey by road, sea, and air.
“The most challenging part was the road trip from Khartoum to Port Sudan. We traveled without escorts because to reach them we had to pass through areas where the government or the Rapid Support Forces troops were located. It was too risky. My oldest children were afraid, but they managed to remain calm,” said Amjad.
Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire to facilitate civilian evacuations and the provision of humanitarian aid. However, there were reports that the truce was not respected.
Following a 34-hour trip by road with limited access to food and water, Amjad and his family reached Port Sudan on 24th April. From there they headed to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, by boat alongside hundreds of other evacuees from UN missions, agencies, funds, and other international organizations.
Safa Ahmen, Amjad’s wife, and their children, aged at 10, 7, and 3, at the International Airport of Entebbe after a perilous journey from Khartoum (Photo: Carolina Lessa)
52 people, including UNITAMS staff and dependents, landed safely at the Entebbe International Airport on the following night on an aircraft chartered by the UN Department of Operational Support (DOS) and the Strategic Air Operation Center (SAOC).
The Regional Service Centre Entebbe in Uganda (UN RSCE) processed on-time travel arrangements, payment of security evacuation allowance, and salary advance for evacuees in transit in Uganda. For those who decided or were requested to remain and work from Entebbe, the RSCE set up a temporary office with laptops and IT equipment to facilitate their work.
Amjad opted to travel to Pakistan, his home country, where his wife and his children, aged 10, 7, and 3, will be settled until Sudan's conflict is resolved. Within the next week, Amjad will have to return to Sudan to perform his duties as a Security Officer.
“I was exceptionally allowed to accompany my family, as they are Sudanese, and it is their first time in Pakistan. After settling them, I am going back to Port Sudan to support my team on the ground," said Amjad.
Ali Amjad during the security and medical briefing at the UN Entebbe Support Base, in Uganda (Photo: Carolina Lessa)
Despite the evacuation, UN Secretary-General António Guterres assured the UN will not abandon the Sudanese people in their claim for peace and a democratic transition.
“The UN has reconfigured our presence to protect our personnel and their families while staying and delivering support to the Sudanese people. The UN leadership in Sudan, led by my Special Representative, Volker Perthes, remains in the country”, said Guterres.
“We are also establishing a hub in Port Sudan to enable us to continue to work with our partners to support peace and to alleviate human suffering,” concluded the Secretary-General during the Security Council meeting on 25 April.
The conflict between the Sudan Armed Forces led by General Adbel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo hits 17 days.
More than 500 people have died and tens of thousands have fled the country since the conflict’s onset on April 15. Those who remained have suffered from shortages of food, fuel, and medicine.
Source: iSeek (UN Secretariat Intranet)
