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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Fiona Cowood

‘Without family, there is no life’: a mother reunites with her sons, having fled Sudan

Clockwise from top left: Lydia Cawthorne-Luff, a family reunion case worker for the British Red Cross, with Abier; reunited at Heathrow; the family when they lived in Sudan.
With the help of the British Red Cross, a family who fled the conflict in Sudan were reunited in the UK. Photograph: Claudia Janke/British Red Cross

Four years ago, 47-year-old Abier was at the lowest point in her life. She had made the heartbreaking decision to flee her home in Sudan, leaving her four children in the care of their grandmother, while she sought safety and asylum in the UK. Abier’s children had lost contact with their father years earlier, leaving her as the sole parent. She faced an impossible situation, and she had little choice.

In early 2020 she faced political persecution, she was detained and held for a week. On her release, she fled to find safety in the UK, fearful of what would happen if she stayed at home. Her hope was to find safety and a future but it came at a huge cost – her family.

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