I am writing this from Egypt, having completed a chaotic, two-day journey from Khartoum with my husband, children, sister, aunt, cousins and dozens of other people from across the world. The sound of gunfire and shelling is gone. We are safe. But this is no thanks to the UK government or British embassy in Sudan, both of which totally failed us. We are safe because we took matters into our own hands.
Nothing prepares you for the sound of war, which started echoing around us on the morning of Saturday 15 April, as fighting broke out between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. We were based in the suburbs of Khartoum and had access to electricity, running water and wifi. Some of my friends and family were not so lucky; their homes were damaged or even destroyed. Heavy fighting at the main airport meant trying to escape that way was futile.
