Sudan crisis support in the UK
Advice and support for people from Sudan being evacuated by the UK government.
How the Red Cross can help
The British Red Cross is supporting people being evacuated from Sudan to the UK.
Maybe you already live in the UK and can return to your home and life in Britain.
But if you are new to the UK or need more help, you can use this page for guidance on how to settle into life here.
The British Red Cross support line offers emotional support.
You can call them on: 0808 196 3651 (10am to 5pm Monday to Friday, 10am to 8pm Wednesday).
If you need a support line interpreter, call and say, 'can I speak to an interpreter?'.
Visit our news page for the latest updates on how the Red Cross is helping in Sudan.
Are you or family members still in Sudan?
The Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) website gives advice on how to leave Sudan. If you are a British citizen in Sudan, you can also call their telephone helpline on +44 1908 516 666. Select option 2 for consular services for British nationals. The line is open 24 hours a day.
The BBC World Service set up a short wave pop-up radio broadcast for people in Sudan. It will be broadcast in Arabic twice daily and cover news, diplomatic efforts and how to get supplies and services. It will air on short wave in Sudan and be available on radio, online and across social media.
Our partner the Sudanese Red Crescent is helping in search and rescue, supporting hospitals and evacuations. Depending on the situation, they may be able to help people in Sudan. People in the country can contact them on:
- phone on (249) 183 772 011 or 183 741 913
- their Facebook page
- email on info@srcs.sd
Looking for family in Sudan?
The best way to reach family or friends in Sudan is to contact them as you normally would, through email, phone, social media or WhatsApp. Since the internet and phone lines may be down or working only part of the day, this could take longer than usual.
Please keep trying but if you can’t contact people, the Red Cross Family Tracing service might be able to help.
If you are in the UK concerned about British nationals in Sudan, please visit the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Sudan page. You can also call them on 020 7008 5000 (24 hours).
Are you a refugee from Sudan?
If you want to claim asylum in the UK, our refugee services may be able to help you.
You can also get this information in Arabic.
.We might also be able to help with refugee family reunion.
Find somewhere to live in the UK
In the UK, local authorities can help with housing. You can find your local authority online.
If you are still near the airport where you arrived, the local authorities are:
- Gatwick airport – West Sussex County Council
- Stansted airport – Essex County Council
If you landed at Birmingham airport, there are several local authorities in the area:
- Near the airport – Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
- Birmingham – Birmingham City Council
- Coventry – Coventry City Council
- Warwick town – Warwick District Council
- Warwickshire – Warwickshire County Council
Other organisations that can help
There are many organisations and charities in the UK that can help with housing, finances and other issues. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you can speak to them through Relay UK.
Health, wellbeing and housing
The NHS can give health care to anyone in the UK. If you have a medical emergency, call 999. If it’s serious but not an emergency yet, call 111 or visit 111.nhs.uk.
Samaritans will help if you feel sad, depressed or anxious, or are thinking of suicide. You can call them on 116 123.
Shelter can help with housing issues and have a helpline you can call if you have nowhere to live or may become homeless on 0808 800 4444.
Practical help
Citizens Advice provides information and help on many issues like your rights, money, housing and immigration. They have a free helpline on 0700 144 8848 in England or 0800 702 2020 in Wales.
Turn2Us helps people with money problems and you can call their free helpline on 0808 802 2000 (Monday to Friday, 9:00am - 5.30pm). The Red Cross also worked with Turn2Us to create a hub for people who need extra financial help.
Help if you feel scared, worried, sad or lonely
The Red Cross offers wellbeing support online and through workshops. This includes support for children. Some have been translated into Arabic.
A traumatic event is when you are involved in something like a conflict or natural disaster, which can affect people in many ways. We have brochures to download on how to cope with trauma for adults and how to support children dealing with trauma.
If you have family or friends in Sudan, you can get emotional support through our online resources. You can also call the British Red Cross support line on 0808 196 3651 (10am to 5pm Monday to Friday, 10am to 8pm Wednesday).
It’s important to look after your own emotions as well as those around you. You can find out more about this in our psychosocial support resources.
More information about life in the UK
If you are new to the UK, we have information to download and watch to help you settle into life here. This includes information on issues that women face when moving here. You can also see this in Arabic.
If you feel concerned about Covid-19 in the UK, we have online resources in English and Arabic:
