2,000 Indians in Sudan evacuated to safe zones so far

New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra stated that about 2,000 of the estimated 3,500 Indians who are trapped in war-torn Sudan have been relocated to secure areas as a result of Operation Kaveri.

Giving a precise timeframe for when all Indians would be evacuated, however, would not be practical at this time, he noted, as the 72-hour ceasefire in Sudan has not always been observed, the New Indian Express reported.

“We have managed to get around 2000 Indians in the safe zone. It includes the two flights which have brought in 360 evacuated passengers to Delhi via a Saudi Airlines charter flight and 246 evacuated passengers to Mumbai on an Indian Air Force aircraft. This number also includes the Indians we have been able to get from Khartoum to Port Sudan and those who have reached Jeddah,” Kwatra said.

Indians who live close to dangerous areas have been evacuated up to this point. Many more are still present and do not wish to depart. PIOs (Persons of Indian Origin) are included, whose ancestors immigrated to Sudan almost a century ago. There are reportedly more than 1,000 PIOs in Sudan.

Since the Indian Embassy in Khartoum is close to the airport, where the majority of the fighting is occurring, its personnel work from a different location. Other nations, notably Sri Lanka, have also asked for India's help in evacuating its citizens. After returning Indians to their homes, the government promised to assist them. Organising more flights is difficult because so many nations are waiting to be evacuated.

From Port Sudan to Jeddah, a 45-minute flight, the IAF's C170 J is operating missions. Port Sudan is more than 12 hours distance from Khartoum.