After violence erupted in Sudan, many Syrians are leaving this country, which they considered their second home after attempting to build a new life there, just as was the case with Syrian citizen Ridwan Hashem, who moved from Syria to Sudan in 2012 in hopes of a better life. The Syrian conflict led to a wave of migration following the deaths of hundreds of thousands, the collapse of the economy, and the displacement of more than half the population from their homes before the war, with millions seeking a new life abroad.
According to UN data, over 66,000 Syrians have settled in Sudan, benefiting from the easy entry requirements after conflict tore their homeland apart since 2011. Many are now seeking to join foreigners who have left Sudan in recent days through evacuation operations organized by their governments. Fearing a return to their homeland, some Syrians find themselves trapped between the two conflicts.
After days of fleeing, Wahba is living in tents on the streets of Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast, waiting to reach a safe haven and start anew once again. Wahba, from Zamalka near Damascus, stated, "The war has become a fate chasing Syrians," noting that "you can't imagine what it was like in Khartoum for civilians and foreigners alike. Everyone was under random bombardment. Rockets were fired, and you didn’t know where they would land."
Citizen Mahmoud Suwaydan, who left Syria last year in search of work, pointed out, "When we came to Sudan, we expected there to be psychological comfort and that we could at least work and establish a new life. But the war that occurred here was a huge shock. We lived 12 years of war. 12 days in Khartoum felt like 12 years."
Saudi state media reported that "Syrian citizens were among those evacuated by the Saudi navy to Jeddah last week," while the Syrian Cham Wings Airlines announced that it "operates two flights from Port Sudan to Syria on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, yet most of them remain stranded in Port Sudan." A correspondent for "SANA" at Damascus International Airport reported the arrival of 191 people, including 21 children evacuated from the Syrian community in Sudan on a Cham Wings flight.
