A Russian woman trapped in an Orthodox Greek church in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, with about 15 other people says their situation is desperate as they have no electricity, water or food.
She told the BBC she had been attending an Easter service on Saturday with her seven-year-old daughter when the fighting broke out between rival military factions.
Two Greek people who tried to leave the church on Saturday were wounded in the courtyard in crossfire.
“They were taken to the nearby hospital. However, now they are going to bring them back because the hospitals are closing. No medicines. But they need an operation,” she said in a WhatsApp message.
Besides her daughter, two other children are among those trapped in the church for the last five days – and they can hear the shots from heavy artillery.
According to reports in the Greek media, Ethiopians and Sudanese are also among the group unable to leave the church.
There was enough food at the church for a couple of days.
“But by now it’s gone, as well as fuel for generator – urban electricity is cut off from the very beginning of the fighting,” her message said.
“You can send this everywhere, as a message to the whole world from our church: No electricity, water, food.”