Expats from conflict zones wish for peaceful New Year

UAE residents who hail from war-torn countries hope for peace back home as they ring in the New Year with cautious optimism.

- Hind Aldah

Sawsan Abdelrahman, a Sudanese woman who has been periodically visiting the UAE for 15 years, prays for the end of the crisis in Sudan. “Just as this war began quickly, may God end it as quickly too,” she said.

Prior to the war, Sawsan used to frequently come to the UAE for holidays since her husband works here. However, as soon as the war broke out, she was forced to flee from Omdurman on an 11-hour bus ride to Port Sudan and take a flight to Dubai.

Once the rebels entered the capital Khartoum in April 2023, chaos ensued. “They stole our cars, they stole everything from our homes, from gold to money, old artifacts, clothes, papers, cups, spoons, the ceramic plates on the ground were all stolen. They stole our memories,” Sawsan said.

She said some Sudanese families who were displaced sought refuge outside Sudan, some members winding up in the UAE, others in Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and London. Some were displaced internally, having left the capital for a safer location.