Displaced Sudanese strive to rebuild lives in Egypt
Sami Mahmoud, a Sudanese obstetrician and gynaecologist, lived a comfortable life in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, before the outbreak of the armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15, 2023.
With a big house, three cars, four household helpers, and everything, Mahmoud said his wife ‘was living like a queen in Sudan’.
However, their fate took a dramatic turn after the conflict. After over 60 hours of bus trips, the family of seven members made it to Egypt with 10 pieces of luggage.
“Now, my wife is like a handyman for the family,” Mahmoud told Xinhua near his rented apartment in Easy Life Compound in New Cairo, east of the Egyptian capital Cairo.
Displaced by the civil war in Sudan a year ago, asylum-seeking Sudanese citizens have been
trying to rebuild their lives in neighbouring Egypt, but the task is by no means easy. “We could not withdraw any deposit from the banks before we left, so we started over in this apartment with money from better-off friends and relatives in other countries,” Mahmoud said, recalling the gloomy days in the new home upon their arrival.
Life began to improve after he resumed his cooperation with the Chinese medical device provider Mindray. In Sudan, he had been offering consultancy services and providing training for young doctors through the partnership for several years.
Retaining the job in Egypt, which provided him with income to support his family, Mahmoud expressed confidence that ‘life will be back on the right track’.
Since the outbreak of the conflict a year ago, more than 500,000 Sudanese have fled to Egypt, according to figures released by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in March.
Despite the challenges they face, Sudanese refugees in Egypt have formed resilient bonds, with those who are more financially secure providing assistance to those in need.
Displaced by the civil war in Sudan a year ago, asylum-seeking Sudanese citizens have been trying to rebuild their lives in neighbouring Egypt, but the task is by no means easy