Conflict Zones
Evacuating the Persecuted: Inside the Dangerous Rescue Missions in Sudan
By mid-2023, Sudan had become one of the most dangerous places on earth. In a story fit for Hollywood, Charmine Hedding tells how her Shai Fund organisation evacuated Christians under fire.
Persecuted for their Faith
Rescuing the persecuted is dangerous and complex, requiring international coordination, legal advocacy, and humanitarian aid. It is not just about getting people out, it is about ensuring they are not hunted down, navigating bureaucratic roadblocks, and finding countries willing to accept them. The legal hurdles, diplomatic challenges, and sheer cost of each evacuation are immense, but the alternative—leaving them to be killed—is simply not an option.
The Targeting of Christians
Families fleeing fighting in and around the town of Bor
Two Christian human rights activists, who had long defended the rights of religious minorities, became marked for death. Their advocacy for freedom of religion and belief made them prime targets of the RSF, and when the war broke out, their homes were raided, their families threatened, and they were forced into hiding.
With no functioning government and the country descending into lawlessness, their only chance of survival was extraction.
Planning an Extraction Under Fire
By mid-2023, Sudan had become one of the most dangerous places on earth. The lack of a working government meant there were no official channels for assistance, no police or law enforcement to intervene, and no reliable diplomatic solutions. Any movement through Khartoum was a high-risk operation, with RSF fighters manning roadblocks, executing suspected opponents, and demanding bribes for passage.
Extracting the two families - nine people in total - required precise planning. Our team needed to locate them, secure safe housing, obtain travel documents in a country where there was no functioning state bureaucracy, and arrange an escape route out of the war zone.
With ground contacts and careful negotiations, we secured a temporary safe house for them, but food, water, and medical supplies were scarce. The country had collapsed into a black-market economy, and survival costs skyrocketed by 2,500% above normal rates. Safe passage out of Sudan became nearly impossible as every road leading to the border was controlled by militias, each with their own demands and unpredictable violence.
Through Enemy Territory
In July 2023, we initiated the extraction. The initial plan was to transport the families from Khartoum to a safer city in Sudan before moving them across the border. What should have been a four-hour journey turned into an 18-hour ordeal as roadblocks forced us to change routes constantly. The RSF had seized all major bridges, and checkpoints were manned by unpredictable fighters who could execute travellers on the spot.
The convoy had to navigate through heavy fighting, rerouting multiple times to avoid direct conflict zones. At one point, an RSF unit stopped the group and interrogated them, suspicious of their intentions. Our team had planned for this, ensuring that no identifiable Christian materials were found, and after tense negotiations, they were allowed to continue.
The increased delays and added security measures caused the budget to spiral by 340%, but there was no turning back. After 18 grueling hours, they reached a secure location, and the second phase of the operation began—getting them out of Sudan.
The Battle for Legal Status
With Sudan in complete collapse, acquiring legal documents for border crossing was nearly impossible. The government had ceased issuing passports, and the RSF-controlled areas had no legal structures in place. For months, we worked to secure identity documents, engaging with international agencies and local contacts who risked their own safety to help.
By November 2023, we managed to move the families to a second safe house in another country, but their journey was far from over. While they were out of immediate danger, they still had no permanent status. Without refugee sponsorship, they faced the risk of deportation back to Sudan—an effective death sentence.
The Ongoing Struggle
Even after escaping war zones, survivors of religious persecution face unimaginable challenges. Stripped of everything, they arrive in foreign countries with no financial means, no legal status, and no way to provide for themselves. Many carry deep trauma from imprisonment, abuse, and torture, requiring extensive psychological and emotional support.
The reintegration process is grueling. They need housing, legal residency, job opportunities, and education. Many have spent years in hiding, unable to work or complete their studies. Even in Western countries, where they can practice their faith freely, they struggle to start over.
A Call to Action
This is just one example of the work we do. Across the world, thousands of Christians remain in hiding, knowing that if they are discovered, they will be executed.
Rescuing persecuted Christians is not easy. It requires global support. Every case demands legal expertise, safe housing, secure travel arrangements, and, in many instances, high-risk emergency evacuations.
This work is possible because of those who refuse to stay silent. People like you and I who choose to become donors, sponsors, and advocates play a vital role in protecting the persecuted and giving them a chance at a new life. Together we can bring peace, safety, and stability to those who have lost everything—offering them hope, a future, and the freedom to live out their faith without fear.
President | Shai Fund
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Evacuating the Persecuted: Inside the Dangerous Rescue Missions in Sudan | Visegrad24
