'UK was slower but still they saved us from Sudan'

After days of dread, fearfulness and desperation, British families are present connected rescue flights retired of Sudan, making the 3,000-mile travel to safety.

Many are flooded with alleviation and exhaustion aft perilous journeys crossed the capital, Khartoum, during a fragile ceasefire to scope the airfield. For others, they whitethorn beryllium heading to the UK but interest continues for household near down successful the conflict-hit country.

At Larnaca Airport, successful Cyprus - wherever Britons committee a 2nd formation - Shereen Soliman spoke of her alleviation astatine escaping Sudan.

"It was thing else. I can't adjacent describe," the parent and manner decorator told the BBC from the departure gates.

"It was bad, it was precise bad, I adjacent don't privation to retrieve it."

Shereen was connected a three-week vacation with her lad Karim, 10, and eight-year-old girl Diyalam, who were excited to beryllium visiting household successful their homeland erstwhile the warring broke out.

"In 2 weeks they [her children] were asking maine to spell backmost to London."

Karim said: "We heard tons of gunshots portion we were successful the house. We besides heard explosions. I saw men with guns but they were affable due to the fact that they were connected our team."

But helium said helium was looking guardant to being backmost successful London due to the fact that it was harmless there.

However that has not been an enactment for each of the family. Others did not person the close to spell to the UK with her, Shereen said.

"I had to permission my parents, my siblings, the full household there. So I'm precise disquieted astir them. I truly consciousness atrocious for Sudan due to the fact that it's my home, my country. I wanted my kids to consciousness harmless there."

Asked however she felt astir the British authorities' handling of the concern compared with the French and the Germans, she said: "They were slower than the others, but inactive they saved us.

"That's what matters, right?"

Her feelings were shared by chap British national, Yahya Yahya, who has been trying to fly Sudan with his household since the warring started 11 days ago.

He told the BBC it was "a precise hard time" and helium was "thankful that we've yet made it to a harmless place".

"The archetypal time that the warfare started [I tried to permission the country], due to the fact that I wanted to effort and get my kids to a harmless place," helium said.

Asked astir the hold successful knowing that Britain would assistance evacuate its people, Yahya took a crisp intake of breath. "It was rather difficult, but it was ok," helium said.

Other stories person emerged of timely escapes. One British antheral whose sister managed to beryllium evacuated overnight told the BBC she felt overwhelming alleviation to person escaped Khartoum, wherever nutrient and h2o person go scarce due to the fact that it is not harmless for radical to permission their homes.

He said astatine 1 constituent she and 13 others had lone 4 dates and 1 ovum near to stock betwixt them.

The UK has faced disapproval for not doing capable to get Britons retired of Sudan. Many overseas nationals person already been repatriated to their location countries, with countries including Germany wrapping up their evacuations connected Tuesday evening.

France says each its nationals are thought to person been evacuated and it is present acceptable to assistance different countries get their radical distant from the conflict.