World Vision staff work in many regions of the world and face potential dangers on a daily basis. It is their faith and commitment to serving the poor that is the source of their determination.
On August 26, Dr. Abraham Hadoto, a World Vision operations manager for South Darfur, was preparing to board a flight back to the World Vision Sudan office in Khartoum. Instead of a standard flight, however Hadoto found himself aboard a hijacked airplane. After his ordeal, Hadoto took the time to journal his experience. Tuesday, August 26, 2008
I check into the Nyala airport, Sudan, for my flight to World Vision Sudan’s head office in Khartoum. We are informed that the flight will be delayed. 4:40 pm Two well-dressed young men in their late twenties catch my eye. Such dressing would normally indicate a wedding but I do not see the bride. 4:45 pm We board Sun Air Boeing 737. A stewardess shows me seat number 9D at the back of the plane. This is good since I am rather tall person. The two gentlemen sit in the business class section—one on left and the other to the right of the aisle of the plane’s entrance. In seat 9E is an elderly man who does not understand English. 5:25 pm The usual safety instructions in English and Arabic. I understand very little Arabic and listen keenly to the English announcement. 5:40 pm We are airborne. I hear a shout, then see a distressed stewardess trying to open the curtain in the business section. One of the smartly dressed passengers appears, waving a gun. His colleague is already in the cockpit. 6:25 pm The pilot gives us the bad news. The plane has been hijacked and he is under instructions to fly it to France. The pilot requests all passengers to strictly follow the hijackers’ instructions. Since I do not understand Arabic, I turned to my neighbour. My inquisitiveness enables me to gather some information on what is going on. 7:45 pm The pilot issues a warning that there isn’t enough fuel for the journey to France and asks all passengers to pray. He also informs us that he has asked several airports for landing rights but they have turned the request down. This is very frightening. 8:05 pm At the moment, we are lying over the town of Kufra, Libya. The plane circles the town twice. The pilot is seeking permission to land. As he circles around, the engine on the right side goes silent. I pray fervently. My Muslim neighbour is also in deep prayer. The aircraft is swaying from side to side on the verge of losing control. “Almighty God, do something!” 8:15 pm The plane lands at the Kufra military airport. We are so thankful to God. 11:00 pm We have no water or food. We are thirsty and dehydrated. The desert heat is making it worse. The situation is punishing children and the elderly. The pilot has no fuel to run the air conditioning and he is not allowed to open doors and windows. Most passengers have succumbed to fatigue and sleep on their seats. Wednesday August 26,
6:00 am The sun rises with a new heat wave. Passengers begin collapsing. The hijackers start to separate the elderly, children and their mothers from the rest of us. Negotiations between Libyan authorities and the hijackers are still going on. 8:00 am Passengers become more restless. Calls for water are deafening.
10:00 am Pandemonium. Thirst and hunger are overwhelming passengers. They start to bay for the lives of the hijackers. In the ensuing confusion, some people jump out of the rear door of the aircraft. It is a really high jump and three are badly hurt. I remain in my seat. 10:30 am Negotiations lead to the release of all hostages. I remain on the plane until all the women and children have been evacuated. The airport is swarming with military personnel and the media. 2:15 pm I make a call to the Operations Director and the Staff Safety Officer at World Vision in Khartoum. I update them on my location, assuring them of my safety and status. 3:00 pm I am called to speak to the United Nations safety personnel who wants to know more about the incident. Lunch is served. We are informed that there will be a flight to Khartoum in two hours. 5:00 pm The two hijackers are brought into the main lounge under tight security. There is excitement from the Libyan security personnel. 8:35 pm We board our flight back to Khartoum.
10:40 pm We touch down in Khartoum. World Vision colleagues pick me up from the airport. There is a heavy presence of the military, media and Government of Sudan officials. The security procedures take two hour to complete. 12:50 am We leave the airport. I want to thank the entire World Vision Partnership for their prayer and concern. I give God the glory for giving me another chance in this world. Read another story about courage and survival, click here. | 