Abdelgadir Eltayeb and his family have no electricity, dwindling food and water, and haven't been able to venture far from the home in Khartoum where they took shelter after violence exploded in Sudan's capital this week.
The Canadian, who is visiting relatives in Sudan with his wife and two children, says fighting between the country's army and its rival paramilitary force has unleashed chaos.
"It's a very difficult situation," the 68-year-old said in a phone interview from Khartoum on Friday.
"We lived our worst night last night, and most of today. Shelling and dark smoke covered the sky."
The situation in Sudan's capital was generally stable a week ago but a skirmish over a planned transition to democratic rule last Saturday escalated into raging battles.
The violence so far has killed 413 people and wounded 3,551, according to the World Health Organization.
Many have fled the country's capital for other parts of Sudan. Khartoum's airport is inaccessible and Canada's foreign affairs minister said Thursday that there are currently no means of evacuating Canadians from Sudan.
Eltayeb said shells have fallen mere blocks from the relative's home where he is taking shelter. The Edmonton resident and his family had a return flight to Canada booked for May 9 but that was changed by the airline this week to May 16, he said.
He has extended family who live outside the capital, where there is less fighting, but many roads and bridges leaving Khartoum are blocked and the risk of encountering violence on the way out is too great, he said.
"Most of the people killed were killed moving, trying to get out of Khartoum," said Eltayeb, adding he and his family planned to stay in the capital for now.
Eltayeb, who came to Canada from Sudan in 1989, has registered with Global Affairs Canada but said he hasn't heard from officials on ways Canada can support him.
Hisham Idris, another Canadian visiting Khartoum, said he's trying to leave Sudan by crossing its land border into Egypt. He hoped to fly back to Canada from there.
"It was hell. Some of the gunshots were falling around us," he said of the situation in Khartoum. "It's very very bad."
Global Affairs Canada said it knows of 1,663 Canadians registered as being in Sudan and urged Canadians in the country who haven't submitted their details to the government to do so.
Canadians in Sudan should shelter in place, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Thursday, adding that Canada was assessing the situation "constantly."
Several hospitals in Khartoum have run out of supplies or been shut down. Banks have been closed and account holders have been unable to withdraw funds. Canada's travel advisory warns that Sudan's telecommunication networks could break down without notice.
Zainab Doleeb, who was born in Sudan and moved to Canada as a child, said she's heard from extended family in Khartoum that civilians have been left to fend for themselves.
"All the rescue initiatives, support and efforts to leave the city have been organized by (Khartoum) community members, civil society and family members," she said in Toronto.
Doleeb said her cousins were trapped in a hospital before fleeing Khartoum's city core for the outskirts, where they are now trying to find ways to escape for the countryside.
"Every time they develop a plan, they hear that this road has fighting in it or that this road is unsafe," she said.
Canada should be open to receiving potential refugee claimants from Sudan, Doleeb said, adding there's a significant Sudanese diaspora that could support such newcomers.
"There are many of us who are just waiting to help and would be happy to host them," she said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2023.
------
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue released her interim report examining foreign election interference on Friday. Here are five elements of the issue that Hogue says she needs to further probe before she can make conclusions or recommendations.
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Skyrocketing airfare prices are linked to heightened competition and rising food and fuel, according to the CAA.
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
A funeral is being held today for hockey broadcasting legend Bob Cole in his hometown of St. John's, N.L.
Foreign interference by China did not affect the overall results of the 2019 and 2021 general elections won by Justin Trudeau's Liberals, a federal commission of inquiry has found.
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
A California man has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for attempting to smuggle a ghost gun across the Canadian border last year, authorities announced Friday.
B.C. libraries have been targeted by a hacker who demanded a ransom or they would release user data that includes the phone numbers and email addresses of some clients.
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
Two baby bald eagles have hatched in Toronto, just weeks after a bald eagle nest was spotted in the city for the first time ever.
An Okotoks resident has been charged in relation to a shooting Wednesday at a residence in Sheep River Court.
Uninspected meat found at several halal food stores and grocers in Calgary has been destroyed and the affected facilities have been cleared to open.
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
Photographers will tell you that one of the best times to capture incredible images is just after sunrise or right before sunset. That time is known as the golden hour. It's the light that starts each day, offering hope and wonder about the day ahead. Griffin Bell exemplified that hope and light in a way that few others ever will.
The federal government says repairs on the damaged LaSalle Causeway in Kingston, Ont. could take approximately two more months to complete.
Two registered nurses from Ottawa and Kingston have been an integral part in the delivery of a baby on board a flight heading to Dubai.
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
A Quebec judge overseeing the trial of a person accused of killing a cyclist with their car has raised concerns that an amendment to the province's language charter could cause 'undue delays' for trials held in English.
Quebec singing legend Celine Dion has praised a Montreal DJ for creating a mashup featuring one of her songs with U.K. producer Majestic.
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
More than 15 years after the death of Michelle Hadwen, police are still searching for the person responsible for her death.
The federal government will invest $21 million into the King Thunderbird Centre.
The six Wolastoqey Nation chiefs in New Brunswick are calling for more collaborative policing and help from federal and provincial governments after the loss of one of their own.
Fishery officers seized nearly 30 kilograms of elvers at a Yarmouth County, N.S., holding facility on Wednesday, arresting three people in the process.
Halifax city councillor Pam Lovelace has announced she is running for mayor.
Winnipeg police will share details about the arrests of two people possessing explosive substances Friday afternoon.
A new pilot program which will notify the public of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit and gender-diverse people is set to be implemented in Manitoba.
A Manitoba man who pleaded guilty to keeping the funds raised from an ice-fishing fundraiser for the Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba has been handed a sentence of 18 months house arrest.
One person has died following a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 606 near Sintaluta, Sask. on Thursday.
Premier Scott Moe's Saskatchewan Party has received millions of more dollars in donations compared with rivals ahead of this year's election.
The North Central Family Centre (NCFC) has launched a capital campaign to help aid in the completion of a major project they are in the midst of building.
More than 100 teachers at the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) are learning they have been declared surplus will likely be out of a job as of Aug. 12.
Kaitlyn Braun, the Brantford, Ont. woman who previously admitted to deceiving doulas and is facing similar charges again, is not seeking bail at this time, her lawyer said Friday.
A 23-year-old Arthur man has died after a dirt bike crash on Thursday.
The Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners announced Deputy Chief Cameron McBride as the new Chief of Police for the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS).
A lesser known fixture of Saskatoon's skyline is coming down for repairs and renovations.
Richelieu Hardware Canada Ltd. was fined a hefty $260,000 for a workplace safety violation leading to a serious worker injury.
The jury deciding the fate of a man responsible for a fatal firebombing in Sudbury found him guilty of three counts of first-degree murder Friday afternoon.
A New Hamburg family is feeling deflated after buying a new Toyota hybrid truck.
Three men from southern Ontario and a man from Texas have been fined a total of $16,700 for illegal hunting and fishing in September 2021.
Neighbours east of Dorchester are demanding action after an alleged attack by dogs.
The Aamjiwnaang First Nation near Sarnia says it has recorded benzene levels 424 times above acceptable levels coming from a nearby chemical plant.
Steven Pinsonneault said one of his first orders of business will be to resign his council seat in Chatham-Kent.
A trial date has been set for an Ontario senior facing allegations of historical sexual offences involving children.
On Thursday night, 30 firefighters battled a destructive fire that broke out in a facility in Bracebridge Ont.
Police are investigating a failed home invasion involving two armed suspects in the area of Bathurst Street and Mulock Drive in Newmarket.
Essex County OPP investigators are asking for help in identifying an individual involved in a shooting incident in a Leamington parking lot.
Essex County OPP officers are warning residents about scam calls circulating in the Town of Essex.
The beer mile has long been an underground event but over the past decade, it’s gained prominence as a mainstream event, complete with a world championship
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
A family claims it’s concerned for their loved one in a Nanaimo-based long-term care facility as they work with staff and Island Health to resolve some of their complaints.
The first Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel for Canada's Pacific fleet will officially be commissioned in a ceremony featuring Princess Anne, the sister of King Charles.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
An emaciated dachshund is now recovering thanks to a Good Samaritan who found the pup near a biking trail in Kelowna, according to the BC SPCA.
Search and rescue crews have been called in after a vehicle belonging to a missing senior was located near a rural intersection outside of Kelowna Tuesday.
Lethbridge police say impaired driving is to blame in a fatal crash that killed a 25-year-old man on Thursday.
The bell at Erle Rivers High School in Milk River, Alta., will ring for the last time on June 26, as the 114-year-old school is scheduled to be torn down to make way for a new K-12 school.
Years of hard work paid off for Tanner McLachlan after he heard his name called at the NFL draft last Saturday.
The Chi-Cheemaun ferry arrived at Manitoulin Island on Friday morning to kick off its 50th season on the Georgian Bay.
Phase 1 of the reconstruction of Queen Street in downtown Sault Ste. Marie is getting underway, although it will be scaled down from the original plan.
Social services agencies across the north are sounding the alarm after funding cuts on homelessness programs were recently published.
A funeral is being held today for hockey broadcasting legend Bob Cole in his hometown of St. John's, N.L.
Richard Martin is spending this year's fishing season on land after he says a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer broke his left leg in three places during a protest last month that shut down the provincial legislature.
Tributes continue to pour in for Bob Cole as his family has confirmed a funeral will be held for the legendary broadcaster Friday in St. John's, N.L.
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
Foreign interference by China did not affect the overall results of the 2019 and 2021 general elections won by Justin Trudeau's Liberals, a federal commission of inquiry has found.
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue released her interim report examining foreign election interference on Friday. Here are five elements of the issue that Hogue says she needs to further probe before she can make conclusions or recommendations.
Here are the latest recalls Canadians should watch out for, according to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
New Brunswick's virtual health-care service is violating provincial law by failing to consistently provide services in French, the province's official languages commissioner says.
Google's preeminence as an internet search engine is an illegal monopoly propped up by more than US$20 billion spent each year by the tech giant to lock out competition, U.S. Justice Department lawyers argued at the closings of a high-stakes antitrust lawsuit.
Many species of animals form social groups and behave collectively: An elephant herd follows its matriarch, flocking birds fly in unison, humans gather at concert events. Even humble fruit flies organize themselves into regularly spaced clusters, researchers have found.
China on Friday launched a lunar probe to land on the far side of the moon and return with samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side.
Quebec singing legend Celine Dion has praised a Montreal DJ for creating a mashup featuring one of her songs with U.K. producer Majestic.
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
One of the organizers of a month-long boycott of Loblaw-owned stores says she met with the grocer's president and CEO Per Bank on Thursday afternoon.
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Ontario is set to clamp down on bad employers with big fines. Labour Minister David Piccini says his government will introduce legislation next week that will see fines increased for violations of the Employment Standards Act.
Two registered nurses from Ottawa and Kingston have been an integral part in the delivery of a baby on board a flight heading to Dubai.
Italy's Ministry of Health has banned the popular wellness trend of "puppy yoga" amid concerns that the puppies used in the practice could be exploited and mistreated.
A Montreal astrologer and horoscope writer just got a boost on his retirement budget, after winning Loto-Quebec’s Grande-Vie prize, which comes in the form of $1,000 a day for life.
A funeral is being held today for hockey broadcasting legend Bob Cole in his hometown of St. John's, N.L.
The Los Angeles Lakers fired head coach Darvin Ham on Friday after two seasons and a 90-74 regular-season record.
Rick Bowness of the Winnipeg Jets, Rick Tocchet of the Vancouver Canucks and Andrew Brunette of the Nashville Predators are the finalists for this season's Jack Adams Award.
Drivers in Saskatchewan will now lose their licence for a week and their vehicle for a month if they are caught committing certain high-speed and dangerous offences on the road.
Auto sales last month totalled 164,000 units, higher than April 2023, which was the weakest month for sales last year.
Rolls-Royce is vastly expanding its factory in Chichester, England. The BMW subsidiary is adding five new buildings with construction planned to start next year.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
