Today, the war in Sudan, which Thelekkadan described as “tragic and unfortunate,” has caused a vast displacement of people, heavy casualties, and unimaginable destruction.
Thelekkadan said the war has caused psychological and physical trauma for those who chose to remain in Sudan.
“The war has contributed to an abundance of fear, hunger, thirst, loneliness, sicknesses, etc. in the hearts and lives of people,” he said.
At Dar Mariam, the priest is only allowed two hours of internet connectivity every day. He tries as much as possible to update the world on the situation of the community whenever he accesses the internet.
Dar Mariam has experienced at least four attacks, some leading to injuries and massive destruction of the community.
Thelekkadan explained that though the war started last April in Khartoum, it gradually spread to the other cities and areas of Sudan. He says that by June 2023, heavy artillery fire, bombings, and explosions began to be heard in Shajara, too, causing fear in the residents of Dar Mariam.
“By the end of July 2023, many residents of Shajara began to move out of Shajara,” Thelekkadan told ACI Africa, adding that by October 2023 people around Dar Mariam preferred to leave their poor homes and live within the Dar Mariam complex for greater safety and security.
Nov. 3, 2023, was an unforgettable day for the residents of Dar Mariam, according to Thelekkadan, who explained that “a deadly bomb exploded in the residence of the sisters, destroying three rooms and other properties of the residents. But the providence of God reigned even at this tragic moment. One sister, a volunteer teacher, three children, and their mother sustained injuries from this bombing, though not life-threatening.”
Two days after the first attack, another bomb destroyed the classrooms on the first floor adjacent to the sisters’ residence.
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On Nov. 10, 2023, an evacuation process that had been arranged for the people at Dar Mariam had to be abandoned due to a shooting incident.
The community fell under another attack on Dec. 10, 2023, when sniper fire caused heavy flames and burned all the rooms and what was inside them on the second floor of the sisters’ residence.
“Once again, divine providence did not allow any harm to any of the residents in Dar Mariam,” Thelekkadan recounted.
He said that by the end of December 2023, Shajara had been surrounded by the RSF forces, causing the closure of markets, shops, pharmacies, and other amenities. Hunger befell Dar Mariam owing to these closures, and the sisters struggled to feed the people who were seeking refuge there.
According to Thelekkadan, the cutting off of electrical power since May 2023 has aggravated the suffering of the residents of the community.
He said that with the unavailability of charcoal and cooking gas, some generous residents leave Dar Mariam at the risk of their own lives searching for dry branches of trees to gather as firewood to cook food.
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