It was the moment hope turned to despair.
There was a lot of excitement within my family's household in Gorton because we were visiting Sudan for a family wedding. Then on the morning of the 15th of April, I received news I never expected. A civil war had broken out in my home country.
My initial response was shock and a strange case of deja vu. At this point, my mum told me conflict had broken out between Sudan's army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Both the Sudanese Army and the RSF were allies and they had successfully taken power after coups in 2021 and 2019. It was being repeated all over again. How can conflict break out three times in four years? It didn't feel real.
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It was then the real worry set in. My dad was still over there. It took a good minute for everything to hit me. The 2021 coup had all airports closed off with no access to the country and limited internet access. The phrase, 'Is this gonna happen again?' was repeating through my head.
This could have not come at a worse time for Sudan itself. People there are constantly struggling with everyday life. Essentials such as food and petrol are at an inflated price and are just about affordable with the wages there.
I still remember how the streets of Sudan felt when I visited a few months after the 2019 coup ended. The journey from the airport to my family's house in Omdurman was around 30 minutes as the airport was in Khartoum (the capital of Sudan).
While the 40-degree heat was hitting me, I saw vehicles used in war that I had only seen in video games before. Seeing a Terradyne Armored Vehicle in real life with a mini-gun mounted above felt like I was in a movie but then you remember the repercussions of conflict in reality.
While traveling through the sandy roads, my family explained to me how the armored vehicles and weapon-equipped soldiers were there for precautionary reasons in case anything happens. I still remember the way my stomach dropped. It was a feeling I experienced again a few days ago when I heard the news.
I picked up the phone instantly to phone my dad. It was a strange feeling. Just the day before the conversations were completely different. They transformed from asking about 'what flavour would the wedding cake be' to 'how many people have died today?'
It was strange, part of me was glad me and my mum were not trapped in Sudan however, the other part of me wants to be in Sudan so I'm in closer contact with my dad. The risk of danger doesn't really possess you when members of your family are in the middle of a civil conflict.
The feeling of helplessness hits too. What can I actually do from here? How can I prove useful in a situation like this? There I was for the next few days, constantly swiping and searching to find updates on the situation in Sudan.
Some could say I became a bit annoying, I would and still do constantly bombard my family over there with messages. If I don't hear back from them within an hour or two, panic starts to set in. You become extremely anxious and start to think the worse.
The next few days consisted of me bombarding the Home Office for updated news about the evacuation of British citizens. 'We don't have any updates yet' was a quote that infuriated me. I was angry to hear how slowly things were moving.
My eating and sleeping habits were thrown out the window for a while. Hunger is replaced by worry. I would put on alarms two hours after I went to sleep so I could check and reassure myself that my family was okay over there.
I checked my screentime on the day the conflict broke out, it showed that I had 12 hours of screentime in comparison to my average of four to five hours. This conflict changes you as a person, even from so far away.
My dad said to me: "Don't worry we are keeping safe. We are staying indoors and will only go to the shop for food and water. I'll update you on what I am planning on doing, maybe taking the bus to Egypt.
"I will update you every day don't worry. If I don't respond, message one of your uncles or cousins. The things here are bad, it will get worse before it gets better."
My dad is the type of person to put someone else ahead of himself. Even though he was the one in danger, he would tell me to 'eat regularly and get enough rest'. It just shows the type of person he is.
For the conflict to occur during Ramadan and Eid made the situation even worse. This was a time for celebration, for enjoyment and it was ruined for millions of people due to two leaders with no dignity or honour.
The current death toll of civilians is over 400 but the real number is predicted to be much more. With a celebration around the corner, more than 400 people could not enjoy the events of Ramadan and Eid with their loved ones. Instead, they were in mourning - and that makes me livid.
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo are the two fighting for power over the country of Sudan. Not one has taken extra measures to keep the lives of civilians safe.
Abdu Mohammed, one of my best friends living in Sudan said: "People here are not getting any assistance from anyone, everyone making their way to different parts of Sudan.
"They will either drive or take the bus. They have to plan the route ahead though because the roads are dangerous sometimes, at night it's even worse."
My family, friends, and co-workers have been super supportive, and even just a message from someone knowing they are there to support me keeps me going.
A petition asking for peace in Sudan has received over 6,000 signatures at the time of publication of this article.
In response to the conflict in Sudan, a UK Government spokesman said: "We recognize that the situation is extremely concerning for British nationals trapped by the fighting in Sudan.
"We are doing everything possible to support British nationals and diplomatic staff in Khartoum, and the Ministry of Defence is working with the Foreign Office to prepare for a number of contingencies."
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