Husband appeals to Home Office from Britain after applying for family reunion visa in February 2022 LONDON: A pregnant Eritrean mother and her daughter stuck in Sudan are being placed at risk after waiting for more than a year for their UK visas to be issued, a charity official warned. The Guardian reported that the mother, who is almost nine months pregnant, together with her 3-year-old daughter, are stranded in Khartoum as violence sweeps the capital. The mother’s husband, a refugee who lives in the UK, is attempting to secure the return of his family. They initially left Eritrea to settle in neighboring Sudan but decided that the father should travel to Britain to claim asylum. However, since the mother and child applied for a family reunion application in February 2022 so that all three could travel to Britain, they have yet to be issued any update, despite the UK Home Office providing a 12-week estimate. The husband said: “My wife, who is nearly nine months pregnant, and my little daughter, are trapped on the streets of Khartoum. Their home was damaged by the fighting. “They have little access to food and water and the hospitals are closed. My wife is strong, but this situation is very bad. I can’t sleep and don’t know what we are going to do. “If the Home Office had processed the family reunion visa when they were supposed to, my wife and daughter and our unborn child would be safely in the UK now.” Government guidance says that individuals awaiting family reunion visas should wait nine months before contacting the Home Office for updates. A statement said: “We apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to improve our processing timescales.” The man told The Guardian that many others — both Eritreans as well as Sudanese — are likely in the same position as his wife. “Do something, please, please,” he said in a statement, appealing to the Home Office to expedite the issuing of visas. Safe Passage International head of campaigns Emily Graham said: “Sudanese men, women and children can’t wait nine months for a decision on their family reunion case, when they need a safe route right now. “This government should be doing everything it can to help refugees reach safety and family here in the UK.” A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are proud to have reunited tens of thousands of people with their family members in the UK through our refugee family reunion route and continue to process applications as quickly as possible. We do not routinely comment on individual cases.”