In Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan, a Russian woman and her daughter found themselves blocked inside the building of the Nubian Metropolis as heavy bombardment continued nearby. This update came from the Orthodox Church leadership in Alexandria, represented by the Metropolitan Savva, who oversees the Nubian Metropolis and all Sudanese parishes in the region. The Metropolitan spoke to a television channel to relay the tense situation on the ground and to provide the latest details available from inside the church compound.
According to Savva, a group of about 15 individuals sought sanctuary within the metropolitan building. The area around the church has become perilous due to ongoing shelling, which has made staying inside the church difficult and dangerous. The Metropolitan described the immediate risk to anyone inside, noting that the shelling was significant enough to constrain movement and raise the level of threat to those taking refuge there.
Savva also stated that the Metropolis building has the essential supplies needed to endure several days, including food, water, and medical items. He emphasized that the people inside the compound, who range in age from young children to older adults, include Greek Orthodox parishioners, Sudanese residents, Ethiopians, and the Russian mother and her child. The group is united by their shared need for safety as the conflict intensifies around them, and Savva expressed cautious optimism that external parties would soon secure a path to relieve the strain on those sheltering inside.
The situation illustrates the broader hardships faced by civilians during the ongoing clashes in Sudan, where communities are often forced to seek shelter in religious buildings and other fortified sites when violence escalates in urban centers. The church’s status as a place of refuge underscores the way religious institutions have repeatedly become lifelines in a country experiencing political and military upheaval. Neighbors and humanitarian workers have watched with concern as vulnerable groups—infants, the elderly, and those with limited resources—count on stability inside these sanctuaries while the fighting continues outside the walls.
As the broader conflict between Sudan’s military leadership and allied paramilitary forces unfolds, international observers have reported rising casualties and injuries in multiple episodes of fighting. The volatile security environment has contributed to a humanitarian crisis, with many residents displaced from their homes and in need of urgent aid. Analysts note that the confrontation between the de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the rapid-reaction forces commander Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo has shifted into an extended phase of hostilities, leaving civilians in precarious situations throughout major cities and towns. Earlier reporting from Reuters indicated a growing death toll and a large number of injuries, highlighting the severity of the violence and the pressing need for ceasefire negotiations and international protection for civilians. The conflict’s trajectory remains uncertain, and for the people inside the Nubian Metropolis, daily survival hinges on mixed signals from authorities, humanitarian actors, and the fragility of any potential ceasefire corridor. The community awaits further developments, hopeful that outside intervention will bring relief and a safe exit for those still within the buildings that have become temporary sanctuaries in the heart of a city under siege. The human toll and the resilience of these sheltering families are a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of the crisis and the urgent need for comprehensive protection and aid.