Northern Ireland diplomat Lisa Gill gets call to help in war-torn Sudan hours after finishing Belfast Marathon

Downpatrick-born Lisa Gill was part of the UK Government’s successful operation to rescue more than 2,450 people – the longest and largest evacuation by any Western nation.

The 31-year-old works for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and was despatched to Cyprus with the UK Government’s Rapid Deployment Team to help British nationals being airlifted out of the east African country.

She received her orders to deploy just hours after crossing the finish line of Belfast’s 26-mile race.

Lisa said: “To say it was quite a full-on week might be an understatement. Most runners were hopefully rewarding themselves with a bit of pampering after putting themselves through the marathon – but instead I was picking up body armour to assist with an international crisis.

“After the marathon, I was absolutely knackered. My body was so tired. I went to bed at eight o’clock because I knew I’d best try to recharge my batteries, as there was a chance I’d be needed to support the unfolding situation.

“I’d run the marathon on the Sunday and by Wednesday I was in Cyprus meeting people who had fled for their lives. Many with very young children.

“But there’s no way I would ever complain about any of my aches and pains from the marathon when you heard first-hand the hazardous journeys people had been through escaping the violence.”

More than 600 people have been killed since fighting broke out on April 15 between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. More than 700,000 people are estimated to have been forced to flee in fear with humanitarian aid workers amongst those who have been killed.

Lisa said: “All the flights I was working on were coming out of Port Sudan in the east of the country.

“Sudan is eight times the size of the UK. I supported one young woman, who had actually driven over 500 miles east from Khartoum.

“It was her first time travelling on her own and her car had broken down. She’d been caught up in the fighting, so understandably traumatised.

“To add to the stress, her baby wasn’t very well, so we had to take the baby to hospital for treatment. It must have been terrifying.”

Lisa joined the FCDO in 2019 and this was her second Rapid Deployment Team operation. She was sent to the Poland-Ukraine border last year to assist people fleeing following Vladmir Putin’s invasion.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: “I’m incredibly proud of the vital work that people like Lisa are doing to help the most vulnerable in response to humanitarian crises around the globe - often in very challenging circumstances.

“People from across the UK have been at the very heart of our efforts to help people fleeing Sudan in their hour of need, and I am grateful for their tireless service and dedication.

“The UK has coordinated the longest and largest evacuation of any Western country and brought 2450 people to safety from Sudan. Our priority now is to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches those who need it and to continue to press for a long-term ceasefire.”