These Sudanese Canadians in Windsor are concerned for their families amidst the violence

Mohamed Kodi starts off each day by searching the news.

And on April 15, the Windsor businessman saw something he initially couldn't believe: violence in his native Sudan, that broke out between the east African country's army and paramilitary force.

Kodi has family in Sudan so he connected with them as soon as he could.

"We were shocked," he said. "I'm shocked. I didn't even come to work that day. I just stayed home."

The fighting has taken place all over the country, with most of it centred in the capital city of Khartoum where his family was. They have sincefled to Kodi's hometown of Wad Madini.

"They're safe down there [for now]. But we never know it could start down there anytime."

"I have my mother [there] there is nobody as important as a mother. It's really sad to see what's going on in my country We love people and we love life. To see the damage happening to everything. It's really, really painful."

"It [war] used to be going onin a lot of places. But right now we see it in real life. We used to hear about it, but it's not like when you've seen it. It's so sad."

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About 150 Canadians and permanent residents have now been helped to get out of Sudan, and Global Affairs Canada has temporarily suspended operations there.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mlanie Joly says the federal government is fast-tracking visitor visa applications Sudanese citizens filed before the violence started.

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The president of Windsor's Sudanese Community Organization says the conflict is taking its toll on civilians stuck in the war-torn country from the communications he's having.

"People cannot get money from banks," said Dr. Abdelaziz Ahmed, who's also an internist at Windsor Regional Hospital. "No ATM machine, no cash in their hands because they are not expecting this war. No food, no electricity, nothing."

Although his niece and nephew were able to make it out to Egypt, Ahmed says many people in Sudan aren't so lucky.

"People now are facing difficulties in doing this. Tickets prices are high because of this crisis. No fuel."

Ahmed said people from Windsor's Sudanese community travelled to Toronto for a rally on Sunday, and they're now hoping to organize something similar locally.

"We don't know when it will stop; this is the second week. They are not listening to what the world is telling them [which] is to cease fire."

With files from Dylan Robertson and TJ Dhir.