Family members of a Chorlton man will have to do a 22-hour journey from Sudan to Ethiopia to escape the recent coup. Yousif Gamal, 22, has family members visiting Sudan who are currently caught up in the conflict.
Yousif has said he was 'extremely stressed and worried' as he didn't hear from certain family members for days.
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Yousif's auntie traveled to Egypt for Ramadan then to Sudan for Eid, to visit family members when the fighting broke out.
The conflict in Sudan broke out on 15th April unexpectedly leaving thousands of citizens around the world trapped without any exit. More than 420 people have been killed and 3,700 injured after war broke out in the northeast African country. Fighting is still taking place in the streets of Khartoum, the capital, raising concerns about a civil war.
The conflict broke out after The Sudanese Army accused a paramilitary group they were in agreement with called Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of illegal militarization.
The RSF then accused the Sudanese Army of attempting to take 'total control' of Sudan leading to tensions being at a high.
Yousif's family house located in the major city of Omdurman had experienced nearby shelling which made them 'fear the worst'. The family was visiting Egypt initially for the Muslim holiday of Ramadan before going over to Sudan to celebrate Eid there.
Yousif Gamal has been speaking to his Aunty who works as a Solicitor in New York to get updates on the situation and to check on their health and well-being. He spoke to the MEN: "They weren't answering their phones for three days, it had us extremely worried since we had no other means of contact
"I know people from Manchester who have family trapped, have family members missing too. That fear of being out of control is something I have never experienced before.
"My mum managed to get a hold of my aunty which was so relieving, you do then remember that she is still trapped."
"Shen found out that my family is either getting a bus or driving to Ethiopia. It has gotten to that point as they haven't been evacuated yet."
Yousif's family will have to undergo a day's worth of travel driving from Khartoum to Ethiopia to escape the conflict. As they currently hold US passports. they would have to wait for the US government to announce emergency evacuations for its citizens.
The US government has currently evacuated diplomats and foreign nationals, however, plans are still in talks to evacuate American citizens.
Ahmed Mustafa, 65, is an American and Sudanese citizen who is currently trapped in Sudan.
The father of three spoke to the MEN: "It is currently impossible to get out, there are a few exit routes such as Egypt and Kenya. Ethiopia is becoming a more popular option. The biggest issue is the price of escape.
"It is ten times the usual price. A bus ride to Egypt is usually around $60 (£48), but now it is around 700, and some families who are Sudanese citizens cannot afford it.
"They have no other means of evacuation. We need more media attention on this situation, we need to get families out safely, even to neighboring countries.
The UK government has begun to evacuate UK citizens from Sudan with the first batch of flights landing yesterday in London.
A statement read: 'The government is starting evacuations to help British nationals leave Sudan, prioritizing families with children, older people, and those with medical conditions.'
A petition asking for peace in Sudan has received over 25,000 signatures at the time of publication of this article.
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