A Massachusetts mother and her 18-month-old daughter have safely crossed the border out of Sudan after spending a terrifying week stranded in the war-torn country.
Trillian Clifford, a teacher at Khartoum International American School, and her daughter Alma were among thousands of American citizens trapped in Sudan as a violent civil war unfolds between the North African country’s two most powerful generals. Her family in Massachusetts announced on Tuesday that Ms Clifford, her daughter, and all American teachers employed by the school have been able to safely leave Sudan.
Their whereabouts will not be shared for security reasons, but it will be several days before Ms Clifford and baby Alma reach American soil. The escape was organised by Ms Clifford’s school and was also possible thanks to the help of Senator Elizabeth Warren and Governor Maura Healey, Ms Clifford’s family said.
“While we are relieved that Trillian is finally making progress on her journey back home, we want to acknowledge there are millions of people still suffering through this conflict in Sudan and many foreign nationals still trying to evacuate,” Ms Clifford’s sister-in-law told The Independent in a statement. “We extend our deepest concern for the innocent citizens of Sudan, including Trillian’s young students.”
Ms Winter said Ms Clifford had been in touch with her on Tuesday and wanted to thank the public for all the support she has received.
Ms Clifford, who has taught internationally for over a decade, moved to Sudan with her daughter last summer. She had been communicating with her family in the US via text messages and occasionally, FaceTime. They briefly lost contact on Sunday before Ms Clifford’s family was delivered the good news on Tuesday.
Ms Winter previously told The Independent that Ms Clifford was concerned for her daughter as they were running low on food supplies. One of the security guards who works at Ms Clifford’s building risked his life during a lull in the fighting to bring food and water to teachers, but the constant air strikes just a kilometre from the building complex had made it difficult to organise a new drop.
Ms Clifford told her family that she had to arrange a makeshift shelter under her coffee table to hide with Alma whenever she heard gunfire.
The civil war in Sudan erupted into an unprecedented battle for control of the resource-rich nation of more than 46 million people.
The armed forces chief and the head of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group have vowed not to negotiate or cease fire, despite mounting global diplomatic pressure. More than 400 people, including at least one American citizen, have been killed in the fighting, according to the United Nations’ World Health Organization.
Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed an unprovoked attack on an American diplomatic convoy. No injuries were reported.
President Joe Biden ordered American troops to evacuate fewer than 100 embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation earlier Saturday from his national security team, according to the Associated Press. However, the US has yet to announce plans for a government-coordinated evacuation of American civilians.
