3 Filipinos rescued from Sudan amid clashes, more to follow — DFA

Three Filipinos have already been evacuated from Sudan and over a hundred will follow after internal clashes among its troops erupted, an official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday, April 24. DFA Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega said three female Filipinos already left the African nation after rescue  efforts were taken by the Saudi government. The rescued individuals were working for Saudi-based Saudia Airlines. Their aircraft got stranded in the Sudanese capital Khartoum when violence started. The Saudi government brought them to Port Sudan before being fetched using a Saudi military vessel and taken to Jeddah. "Doon sila sinalubong kasama iyong ating consul nandoon 'no (They were received by our consulate in Jeddah)," he said in a Laging Handa briefing. "So nagpapasalamat tayo sa Saudi Arabia at nakikiusap tayo sa Saudi Arabia din kung may iba tayong mga kababayan na madadala sa Port Sudan, na nandoon sa Port Sudan, kung mayroon silang future repatriation ships or what kung maaaring isakay (So we thank the Saudi government and we're still asking them if they can bring more of our fellow to Port Sudan)," he added. De Vega added that the Saudi government seems "open" to rescue other nationalities. Meanwhile, the government also started sending deployment to rescue Filipino nationals from Sudan. They will be fetched there to be brought to Anwan, a tourist destination in Egypt where there is an operational airport. "Within the next 24 hours, mayroon na rin tayong batches na makakasakay na ng evacuation buses papuntang Egypt (we'll have batches of Filipinos who will get onboard the evacuation buses bound for Egypt)," he said. De Vega said about 156 Filipinos are now preparing to leave Sudan from the 696 who registered for rescue and repatriation. Most of the Filipino workers in Sudan are professionals, including teachers and engineers. Once repatriated, they will not be allowed to return to the African nation while the Philippine government still has an alert status there. About 413 people were killed and 3,551 injured following the clashes that erupted last week due to power struggle between Sudan's military ruler, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and paramilitary leader, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, according to figures provided by the World Health Organization (WHO).