“We spent the evening of Good Friday at church in all-night prayer. The next morning, we woke up to a loud noise at 9am. We didn’t understand what was happening. Shrapnel broke the kitchen window.”
So begins the story of Ingy Kamal, a mother from Khartoum who had to make the risky decision to leave Sudan with her family in search of safety. She told her story on SAT-7 as part of a series of short films about Sudanese refugees recorded for social media.
Watch Ingy’s story:
Ingy is just one of the millions of ordinary Sudanese people who suddenly found themselves caught up in a brutal war when fighting broke out between the Sudanese army and Rapid Support Forces in April earlier this year. Since the outbreak of violence, more than 250,000 people have fled from the fighting into neighbouring countries, alongside nearly two million who are internally displaced.
It was Easter weekend in Khartoum when shelling started in the area where Ingy lives with her husband, son Steven (14), and daughter Katia (10).
“My daughter came to me with eyes filled with fear, telling me to come and see the kitchen window, Ingy says. “I found that part of the window was broken and glass covered the floor.”
“After the Saturday strikes, I sensed God telling us to leave,” she continues. “We feared the journey ahead because we had heard that travellers were being attacked. We decided to take the risk and trusted God.”
“I prayed a lot and was certain that He knew what we were going through, and He knew everything,” says Katia, Ingy’s daughter. “I prayed and said, ‘Lord, let this day pass peacefully.’”
Ingy’s daughter Katia has diabetes, so on top of fearing for their journey, Ingy was afraid that Katia’s insulin supply would run out. “After 30 hours, I had given her the last insulin shot,” Ingy says. “I then left her in the hands of the Lord.”
Miraculously, God provided enough insulin for Katia, and the family were able to escape safely to Egypt.
Though the Sudan crisis has started to slip from the headlines, SAT-7 is still there for the Sudanese people, ministering to their needs, amplifying the voices of refugees and encouraging their acceptance in host societies.
As for Ingy, she is hoping and praying that her family will be able to return home. Let’s join her in her prayer for peace:
Oh Lord who hears our prayers, we come to you lifting up our country. We cry for our land. We put everything and all our problems in your hands, Lord. Lord, you can stop the war and prevent bloodshed. Let love fill Sudan, and let it return to peace. We pray for all who lost their children or their loved ones. We pray for all the injured, those in pain, and for all who left their homes. You will help us return and make Sudan better than before. Amen.”