URGENT NOTE TO UNICEF'S MANDEEP O'BRIEN: Update evacuation of Mygoma orphans from Madani

Update on efforts to evacuate Maygoma orphans from Medani to East Sudan:

One baby has already died. Volunteers are currently dealing with obstruction from authorities after a smear campaign claiming the convoy includes plain-clothed RSF militia men transporting weapons pic.twitter.com/aURw8byxrC

— Yousra Elbagir (@YousraElbagir) December 25, 2023

Related

Sudan Watch - May 29, 2023

Khartoum orphanage - 50 children including 24 babies died as fighting prevented staff reaching them

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2023/05/khartoum-orphanage-50-children.html

Sudan Watch - December 20, 2023

Sudan: ICRC please help the children evacuated from Mygoma Orphanage in Khartoum to Wad Madani

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2023/12/sudan-icrc-please-help-children.html

Sudan Watch - December 20, 2023

Sudan: UNICEF is working with partners to help 200 orphan babies evacuated from Khartoum to Madani

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2023/12/sudan-unicef-is-working-with-partners.html

ENDS 

__________________________________

UPDATE 1 by Sudan Watch Editor on Tuesday, 26 Dec 2023 19:36 GMT:

Wow, what a trauma these sweet little innocent souls have endured non-stop since birth. I hope there'll be a future update of what became of them. I pray they will receive extra special care in safe and loving arms and homes:

The babies and young children originally from Mygoma Orphanage in Khartoum have been successfully evacuated from Wad Madani, Al Jazira State and are on their way to a safe, undisclosed location. Great work by UNICEF'S Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa @Adele Khodr and @UNICEF Sudan Country Representative Mandeep O'Brien and all others involved. Must have been fraught and traumatic. Thanks to Yousra Elbagir for posting this update at her page at X, and for this Dec 26, 2023 post at X by @MandeepOBrien saying: 

"So worried: millions of children caught #Sudan war. Relieved to have evacuated babies & kids from Madani battlelines. Once again on the move, safe now, getting to end of their journey. Grateful for safe passage made possible by cooperation of both sides & support of key partners". 

Also copied below is a Dec 24 post at X by Adele Khodr, saying: "Over the past days, @UNICEFSudan has been coordinating with all parties to evacuate babies & children without parental care and their caregivers away from clashes in and around Wad Madani. I appeal to all parties to facilitate UNICEF's efforts in getting the children to safety. 11:28 AM · Dec 24, 2023".

Maygoma orphans have been successfully evacuated from Madani. https://t.co/Amj46HUO7P

— Yousra Elbagir (@YousraElbagir) December 26, 2023

Over the past days, @UNICEFSudan has been coordinating with all parties to evacuate babies & children without parental care and their caregivers away from clashes in and around Wad Madani.

I appeal to all parties to facilitate UNICEF's efforts in getting the children to safety.

— Adele Khodr (@AdeleKhodr) December 24, 2023

ENDS

__________________________________

UPDATE 2 by Sudan Watch Editor on Thursday, 28 Dec 2023 00:59 GMT:

This news update from Yousra is so disappointing and shocking, it’s sickening. If memory serves, there were originally 300 babies and children in Mygoma Orphanage in Khartoum. 200 were dramatically evacuated to Wad Madani in Al Jazira after 50 children including 24 babies died as fighting prevented staff reaching them. These two updates tell us that 46 children have not been evacuated from Wad Madani and efforts are ongoing by emergency responders to help those children and 42 carers as well as 84 vulnerable children in al-Hasahisa, It does not account for all the babies and children from Khartoum. Why isn't UNICEF and/or ICRC on the ground in Wad Madani to ensure these poor souls are evacuated? It's heartbreaking. 

Confirmed from on the ground:

There are 38 children over the age of six, 8 teenagers and 42 carers from Al-Maygoma have not been evacuated from Madani due to a logistical error.

Efforts ongoing from ERR's to help them as well as 84 vulnerable children in al-Hasahisa. https://t.co/PrioQ2wacO

— Yousra Elbagir (@YousraElbagir) December 27, 2023

ENDS

An RSF faction entered the care home in Madani yesterday and threatened the carers with rape.

Another RSF faction went into the home today and gave them water and fuel.

They are extremely vulnerable to a dangerous & erratic militia and need to be evacuated as soon as possible.

— Yousra Elbagir (@YousraElbagir) December 27, 2023

ENDS

__________________________________

UPDATE 3 by Sudan Watch Editor on Thursday, 28 Dec 2023 14:37 GMT:

See Sudan Watch Thu 28 Dec 2023 containing press release from UN Sudan providing news from UNICEF on a successful evacuation of 253 babies and children in Wad Madani and al-Hasahisa to East Sudan. Thanks to UK Sky's Africa Correspondent Yousra Elbagir for updates on this story. Here's Yousra's latest at X. I hope she can chase up news of the remaining babies and children from Mygoma Orphanage in Khartoum - and their carers, especially the one who gave the tearful video appeal for help: is he OK?

To be clear, UNICEF staff executed a mammoth effort to evacuate 253 children from the danger of Madani to East Sudan based on a list organised by the Ministry of Social Welfare.

Additional children need to be evacuated from Madani + Hasahisa but that does not negate this effort https://t.co/lcrr0XDfZp

— Yousra Elbagir (@YousraElbagir) December 28, 2023

ENDS