‘We are increasingly terrified’: Mass. mother, young daughter trapped in war-torn Sudan

ASHLAND, Mass. — A Massachusetts mother and her young daughter are currently stranded in war-torn Sudan as concerned family members fear for their safety.

Trillian Clifford, a native of Ashland, is a teacher at an international school in Sudan’s capital city of Khartoum, her sister-in-law, Rebecca Winter, told CNN.

“We’re in a very awful holding pattern because Trillian’s been told by both the U.S. Embassy and the international school that she works for that she has to shelter in place and that she should not accept any offers for private evacuation,” Winter said. “She is just struck waiting right now in fear.”

Winter said Clifford and her 18-month-old daughter, Alma, have been hiding out for about 10 days as Sudanese armed forces and the rival paramilitary force continue to clash in Khartoum. Initially, Winter was able to stay in touch with Clifford. That’s not the case anymore.

“Internet has been out in Sudan for a while now. Unfortunately, in the last 18 hours or so, we’ve completely lost contact with Trillian as the cell networks are now down in Sudan as well,” Winter explained. “We are increasingly terrified.”

Sudan has been in a political crisis since its long-serving ruler was overthrown in April 2019, the BBC reported. In 2021, rival generals joined forces to seize power in a coup, the Associated Press reported.

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Djibouti France Sudan This photo provided by the French Army shows French citizens after arriving in Djibouti, Sunday, April 23, 2023. Two French military planes evacuating about 200 people from multiple countries left Khartoum on Sunday for Djibouti as France urged all parties to stop fighting and return to political dialogue, in a statement by the Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry. (Etat Major des Armies via AP) (Uncredited)

Winter added that Clifford loves working as an international teacher and that she feels like “raising her daughter in an international environment is a wonderful gift for her.”

At this time, Winter and other family members are concerned that Alma is not going to get the nutrition and hydration that she needs.

“They were near the end of their nursing journey, and she is now reverse-weaning Alma so that she can ensure she has nutrition,” Winter explained. “Now the flip side of that is to be a nursing mother. You need to be getting more calories yourself. She doesn’t have more calories to eat right now. She does not know when her next food and water drop will happen or if it will happen.”

The AP reported that foreign governments have been airlifting hundreds of their diplomats and other citizens to safety.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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