REACT’S RAPID RESPONSE TO SUDAN EVACUATION WINS WIDESPREAD PRAISE

The conflict in Sudan may be raging 4500 miles away, but events in the East African nation were brought much closer to home when REACT Responders were deployed to help support evacuees airlifted to the UK.

Thousands of UK citizens and their families were evacuated at very short notice and brought to Stansted, Birmingham, and Gatwick airports.  The scale of the operations put huge pressure on local councils, so the voluntary sector was asked to help with managing their reception and helping address humanitarian needs. 

86 React Responders from across the UK were deployed to support more than 1000 evacuees. One of their number, Mark Cohen, had only completed his UK operations’ course the day before, but was eager to join their ranks!

REACT received the first request for help on April 27^th. Responders needed to get to a flight that had re-routed from Stansted to Gatwick with just eight hours’ notice.  Immediately, a team of 10 Responders were assembled and deployed.

They worked alongside the council, airport staff and the British Red Cross, to receive and support nearly 200 displaced people.  Most arrived with young families, with their only possessions being what they had managed to pack into a few bags. 

“Our Responder’s humanitarian values coupled with their excellent task management skills and adaptability were hugely valuable in expediting the council’s reception plan,” said Luke Cox, REACT’s UK Operations Manager.

He added: “They were involved in every aspect of the reception: talking with and re-assuring people; helping families get food, water, hygiene packs, nappies, train tickets and taxis to get home; connecting people with their families in UK; helping the council record evacuee data; escorting the elderly and young families to train stations and bus stops; and marshalling evacuees through the reception system. Basically, anything that was needed to support these people in need.”

The same level of support was requested throughout the following week at both Stansted and Birmingham airports, with our volunteers seeing to the needs of these vulnerable people and helping the council staff deliver the help they wanted.

Responder Lizzie Wyatt said the first evacuees she met at Gatwick airport were a family with four non-verbal autistic children.

“You can’t start to imagine how stressful a time the parents would have had in making their escape. I got them settled, waited for the father to register, and then did a needs assessment with them. One of the children would not eat until they got home due to a very restricted diet, so I knew time was a big factor,” Lizzie explained.

“I asked the council to sort a taxi to get them back to Newport in South Wales. It was obviously a long journey, so I helped them with their bags and together we looked for the taxi, which after a bit of cat and mouse, we eventually found. You could see the relief knowing they were on the last leg or their journey.”

Another Responder, Mike Eaton, said the evacuees were incongruously processed in the “posh” air-side executive lounge.

“It was odd to think that these poor people, some of whom just hours before had witnessed carnage and had literally been left with what they were wearing, were now sitting on sofas that a few hours later VIPs jetting in for the King’s Coronation would be using. Different worlds,” said Mike.

The REACT team’s work won high praise from all quarters.

Our West Midlands’ Regional Lead, Harry Starkey, was contacted by Sam Collins, the Head of Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Local Resilience.

Sam told him: “What a great response from REACT at Birmingham Airport. What a fantastic group of helpful people. Thank you so much for everything so far.”

West Sussex Council’s Emily King, who led the team that received evacuees at Gatwick, said she really valued REACT’s work and was “absolutely keen to talk about how we can link up for the future”.

Amanda from the British Red Cross – who were also deployed at Gatwick – said: “I can’t believe how much you achieved with so little notice, resource, or guidance. Thank you for bolstering our small team.”

Her colleague, Lisa, at Birmingham Airport said: “Thanks so much. Honestly it was great to work with you. I’m not sure what we would have done without your incredible team.”

The local council lead at Gatwick, Emily, said an official thank you letter was on the way, but she had been “blown away” by REACT’s response.

REACT will continue to monitor events in Sudan and will deploy again when needed.