409 Pinoys move out of Khartoum, Sudan as evacuation continues
By Raymund Antonio and Raymund Antonio
At least 409 Filipinos, mostly overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), were evacuated from strife-torn Sudan in Egypt, Malacañang said on Thursday, April 27.
(Photo by Mark Johnson/MOD/AFP)
The Palace reported that some 335 OFWs and their family members left Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, on April 26 for Egypt via Wadi Halfa Highway. The Philippine government has started the evacuation of Filipinos from Sudan as it pushed on mass evacuation efforts amid the fighting there that erupted two weeks ago and resulted to the deaths of 459 people. On Tuesday, April 25, a three-day ceasefire was declared between the warring factions Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group. Malacañang said another 35 OFWs and 15 students were brought to safety in Egypt with the help of their fellow Filipinos in Sudan as well as personnel from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). DMW Secretary Susan Ople and Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac are now in in Cairo, Egypt, to assist in the government's evacuation efforts. They are likewise leading the distribution of welfare assistance to the Filipino evacuees. In a recent media briefing, Ople said they were directed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos to quickly bring all Filipinos out of the hostilities and get them to the Sudan-Egypt border. Citing a report from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), she said that 327 of the 725 Filipinos, who are now registered in the Philippine Embassy in Cairo sought assistance for repatriation. “Will the numbers rise? Based on our experience, based on my experience ‘no as an OFW advocate – yes, the possibility is that the numbers will rise,” Ople said. Meanwhile, the Department of National Defense (DND) continues to closely coordinate with concerned agencies to address the immediate needs of the Filipinos seeking repatriation. Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said he has already coordinated with the DFA for the repositioning of Defense Attaché from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel to help the Philippine Embassy in Cairo in the evacuation of Filipinos. The DFA has raised Alert Level 3 in Sudan amid the ongoing political crisis worsened by clashes between two warring factions that broke out in the country last April 15. "The public is informed that Alert Level 3 (Voluntary Repatriation/Evacuation) has been raised for the whole of the Sudan region due to the ongoing political situation in the country," the DFA said in an advisory.
(Photo by Mark Johnson/MOD/AFP)
The Palace reported that some 335 OFWs and their family members left Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, on April 26 for Egypt via Wadi Halfa Highway. The Philippine government has started the evacuation of Filipinos from Sudan as it pushed on mass evacuation efforts amid the fighting there that erupted two weeks ago and resulted to the deaths of 459 people. On Tuesday, April 25, a three-day ceasefire was declared between the warring factions Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group. Malacañang said another 35 OFWs and 15 students were brought to safety in Egypt with the help of their fellow Filipinos in Sudan as well as personnel from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). DMW Secretary Susan Ople and Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac are now in in Cairo, Egypt, to assist in the government's evacuation efforts. They are likewise leading the distribution of welfare assistance to the Filipino evacuees. In a recent media briefing, Ople said they were directed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos to quickly bring all Filipinos out of the hostilities and get them to the Sudan-Egypt border. Citing a report from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), she said that 327 of the 725 Filipinos, who are now registered in the Philippine Embassy in Cairo sought assistance for repatriation. “Will the numbers rise? Based on our experience, based on my experience ‘no as an OFW advocate – yes, the possibility is that the numbers will rise,” Ople said. Meanwhile, the Department of National Defense (DND) continues to closely coordinate with concerned agencies to address the immediate needs of the Filipinos seeking repatriation. Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said he has already coordinated with the DFA for the repositioning of Defense Attaché from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel to help the Philippine Embassy in Cairo in the evacuation of Filipinos. The DFA has raised Alert Level 3 in Sudan amid the ongoing political crisis worsened by clashes between two warring factions that broke out in the country last April 15. "The public is informed that Alert Level 3 (Voluntary Repatriation/Evacuation) has been raised for the whole of the Sudan region due to the ongoing political situation in the country," the DFA said in an advisory.