Displaying items by tag: fleeing to safety

On 27 April, 536 British nationals were evacuated from Sudan during a truce, but foreign secretary James Cleverly warned there is no guarantee flights will continue if the fragile truce ends at midnight. Diplomatic efforts are ongoing to extend the ceasefire, Sudan's army is willing, but the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have not responded. Despite the ceasefire, fighting continues in parts of Sudan. The Foreign Office warned that an end to the ceasefire could result in a humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan, saying, ‘It is essential that a ceasefire is maintained and a political process is secured. If not, the humanitarian consequences will be incalculable. The UK will continue to work tirelessly to help bring an end to the violence and provide humanitarian relief’. James Cleverly cannot guarantee evacuations. Only British passport holders and their immediate families with existing UK entry clearance are eligible, and even that might be impossible if the truce ends.

So far, two thousand people from fifty countries have crossed the Red Sea to the port of Jeddah, while tens of thousands of Sudanese are trying to reach Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. Those remaining in Khartoum homes are running out of supplies. ‘If this war doesn't stop, there is no way to stay here.’ said a nurse. Lakshmi from Massachusetts was hitchhiking south. He said, ‘For the 16,000 Americans in Sudan, the race to evacuate diplomats has left them to fend for themselves. There are at least 158 Australian families registered in Sudan, but Australia has no embassy, so they have no consular services to help. See Many Britons scrambled to get to an airfield near Khartoum and fly back to the UK via Cyprus before the ceasefire ended.