KOCHI: Sheerin Hasina left everything behind while fleeing war-torn Sudan. Yet, her husband, Habeeb Peeran, remains in Port Sudan helping the Indian embassy evacuate more citizens. With the war continuing and many Indians yet to be evacuated, 41-year-old Sheerin hopes that her husband, a native of Madurai, will be back home in a week.
Sheerin, for whom the northeast African nation has been home for the last 14 years, said the country was peaceful before the bloodletting started on April 15. “We wanted to come home as soon as possible because the situation had turned dangerous,” said Sheerin.
Also a native of Madurai, she has been living in Kochi since childhood. Three others from their group — Shahul Hameed, Rowther and Amjath — stayed back with Habeeb, to help with the evacuation. As someone who knows the native language, Habeeb could prove to be critical in a situation like this, said Sheerin. “He has been living in Port Sudan for the last 17 years. He knows the language and the locality,” she added. Habeeb works for Golden Arrow, a Sudan-based conglomerate.
Port Sudan is safe for now, she adds. “The war has not reached the area. Drinking water, food and other facilities are also available. But there are network issues, because of which we cannot communicate,” she said.
“Khartoum is a high-risk area, so the embassy is trying to evacuate all Indians from there,” said Sheerin, on the general situation in the country. “We were not clear on the number of Indian residents. We now have a count of 5,000 or more because of the efforts of the embassy,” she added. Sheerin was among the 18 persons who landed at Kochi airport on Saturday.