Sudanese Hazem Ibrahim and Fátima Mohamed faced a terrifying journey as they fled their war-torn city to seek refuge in Egypt. Despite their cries of “we are civilians!” they were shot at by armed men while leaving Khartoum. However, after five days of travel, they arrived in Egypt safely with nine other family members, seeking to begin their lives anew in Cairo. The trip was chaotic, with constantly changing bus prices and long waits at the border crossing. Despite the difficulties, the family is grateful to be safe and together, unlike the 550 people who have died since the hostilities began.
Hazem has already narrowly escaped death once; he was on a plane heading to Riyadh when the conflict began to unfold at the airport, leading to the deaths of two people. Later, Hazem and Fátima were shot at while driving, but managed to escape injury by hiding crouched down. They arrived in Egypt with Fatima’s brother Saleh, who was in Saudi Arabia when the conflict broke out. The family is currently staying together in Cairo while they rest and consider their next steps.
Although less than 1% of those who have fled have registered with the UN Refugee Agency in Egypt, the family is grateful to be safe and together, and looks forward to deciding their future together.
