Over 70 NHS doctors still stuck in Sudan as delicate ceasefire ends tonight
Over 70 NHS doctors are still stuck in Sudan and have been denied seats on British planes ahead of the ending of a ceasefire tonight.
Nadia Baasher, a representative of the Sudanese Junior Doctors Association UK SJDA and a paediatric emergency doctor in London, told the Mirror she is in a WhatsApp group with 75 NHS doctors stuck in the country where a deadly war has unfolded.
She says they all travelled to the country because of the Eid holiday and had been visiting family for celebrations.
Now, they face being stuck under bombardment with a ceasefire ending tonight at midnight local time (11pm UK time).
The junior doctors made the perilous journey to Wadi Saeedna airfield, where the UK government has been evacuating UK nationals. Most were advised to go there by their MP but once they arrived they were turned away.
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British nationals being evacuated from Sudan by UK military personnel (2023 Handout)The government was first made aware of this group of doctors over four days ago and Nadia says there has been no change.
Some of the group are British nationals and others have biometric residence permits (BRP), which are visas that are proof of people’s right to study or work in the UK.
Nadia says those with BRP are just a year or two away from becoming British citizens.
Nadia told the Mirror: "These are doctors who work in the NHS, they are taxpayers who are contributing to the community and the society, they are consultants, junior doctors.
"Some of them are A&E doctors, paediatricians, obstetricians, and GPs, all of whom reside and work here.
"We're disappointed that these are NHS workers, they've seen the country through a pandemic. They've been working very hard they have the permit to reside and work in the country and they are being turned back at the air base. This is very, very disappointing."
People evacuated from Sudan arrive on a flight from Cyprus into Stansted airport in Essex (PA)Nadia says the group are now beginning a 600-mile journey to Port Sudan in the hope of evacuating via other countries.
She says: "It is a very long journey from Khartoum. I'm from Port Sudan and it's 600 miles from Khartoum by road, which is not a straightforward journey.
"A lot of them have toddlers and kids. I really think this cohort should be prioritised, regardless of whether they are British nationals or not."
A British teacher from Coventry, William, told the Mirror how he was forced to flee without government assistance.
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The school where he worked arranged a bus which took around 80 members of staff to a safe place and eventually to the Egyptian border.
He said: "It was pretty obvious it was becoming increasingly dangerous and unsustainable to stay. The clock is ticking for all of our neighbours. The whole infrastructure of the city has collapsed."
He says he and his wife "did not even bother" looking at the embassy's advice because they have been so useless.
William continues: "The journey did not feel safe at all. There were some gunshots by the side of the coach when we were stopped, but we were told that was the police, not the military and thank God."
Sudanese army soldiers, loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, posing for a picture (AFP via Getty Images)Another British doctor wrote on Twitter: "This is awful. I have a doctor who works in my team and is in the same position.
"They are trapped there. They made a commitment to come and work in the NHS, many risked their lives and health working in the NHS before Covid vaccination. We need to find a way to help them."
At least 512 people, including civilians and combatants, have been killed in Sudan since April 15, with another 4,200 wounded, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry.
The Doctors’ Syndicate, which tracks civilian casualties, has recorded at least 295 civilians killed and 1,790 wounded.
Despite a ceasefire, residents reported gunfire and explosions in some parts of the capital on Thursday. The fighting in the capital has created dire conditions for many struggling to obtain food and water, and electricity is cut off across much of Khartoum and other cities.
Multiple aid agencies have been forced to suspend operations, plunging thousands into a desperate situation.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the official number of evacuees still stood at 536 as of Wednesday evening but added the number was rising.
He told MPs: "As of yesterday evening, six flights carrying 536 people have landed safely in Cyprus.
"More flights continue today, so that number is rising and I will ensure that I find the opportunity to give updates to the House."
The FCDO has been contacted for comment.
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