- India evacuated over 530 of its citizens using military aircraft and a warship Under Operation Kaveri.
- A citizen said that it was happening right outside their homes and they were struggling even for food they hadn’t had any food for the past 2-3 days.
- Another citizen, speaking to reporters, said, “The RSF – paramilitary force in Sudan entered our company and began firing and looting us, they kept us hostage for eight hours.
- Most of the Indians who had gathered in Port Sudan have now been evacuated to Saudi Arabia.
- Indian authorities are still exploring various options for evacuating stranded Indian nationals from Khartoum and other locations.
- According to United Nations agencies, the fighting has killed 459 people and injured more than 4,000.
- Many areas in Sudan are without electricity and water, and food shortages have been reported in Khartoum and other cities.
A day after the Sudan military and paramilitary chiefs agreed on a 72-hour nationwide ceasefire letting countries begin the evacuation process, India evacuated over 530 of its citizens using military aircraft and a warship. Under Operation Kaveri, citizens were flown by the Indian Air Force from Port Sudan to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and several others were taken by ship from Sudan port to Jeddah.
More are set to be taken out of the northeast African country amidst the ongoing crisis. The citizens who returned to India spoke about the conditions in Sudan and the ordeal they went through within the country. The citizen added that the fighting in Sudan was at an extreme level. A citizen said that it was happening right outside their homes and they were struggling even for food. Another citizen said that they hadn’t had any food for the past two to three days.
In the videos posted by news agencies, one of the citizens can be seen talking about how it was a riot situation in Sudan. He says that the Indian government made arrangements to take them by ship. He also says the citizens were fed by the Indian forces.
Another citizen, speaking to reporters, said, “The RSF – paramilitary force in Sudan – were close to our company. Early in the morning , they entered our company and began firing and looting us. They kept us hostage for eight hours. They kept their guns on our heads and chest and looted us. They destroyed everything in the company. They destroyed files and stole our laptops and mobile phones. We then contacted the embassy. We didn’t have any food and we then hid in a village. We arranged for diesel and asked the embassy to arrange buses for us to be evacuated.”
Most of the Indian nationals who had gathered in Port Sudan till Tuesday have now been evacuated to Saudi Arabia. Indian authorities are still exploring various options for evacuating stranded Indian nationals from Khartoum and other locations, including the use of military air bases located near the capital city. There were about 3,000 Indian citizens in Sudan when the fighting erupted, with most of them in Khartoum.
According to United Nations agencies, the fighting has killed 459 people and injured more than 4,000. Many areas in Sudan are without electricity and water, and food shortages have been reported in Khartoum and other cities.
(With inputs from agencies)
