The UK has launched its first evacuation flights from Sudan which will land in Cyprus. This is a critical moment for the UK as it needs to get its British Citizens out of Sudan as soon as possible without casualties. The evacuation started during the 72h ceasefire that began on Monday. This is an opportunity for the UK to conduct such an operation to evacuate its Citizens from Sudan as previous attempts from other nations have led to casualties.
The UK is placing women and children first on the list of evacuees which leaves to question when will men be placed on the list. The British government has given clear instructions to provide contact information to the Foreign Office with the phone number and addresses of individuals. From that information, it will be clear how many UK citizens are still in need of rescue and where to get them in cases of power cuts or telecom devices being off the air. It will also allow the UK Foreign Office to find different exits if necessary.
Some Sudanese nationals that have British relatives are not being rescued and are being left behind in their nation. It is believed that around 4,000 British citizens have been rescued from Sudan but these numbers are just an estimate. – Independent and Financial Times.
The UK Government does not fully trust the cease-fire that was created so it is trying, with all its powers, to get the people out. The UK government is constantly updating its travel advice to surrounding nations and continues to monitor the situation. The government is working with international partners to arrange the departure and openly thanking the partners for their help.
The situation in Sudan is tense as some flights will not have any military escort as the situation there remains dangerous, volatile and unpredictable -Independent.
The situation is complicated and the British government does not know when the fighting will commence again. As the conflict is fresh and does not see an end, it is a question of when it will stop for good.
Ben Wallace, the British Defence Secretary, has said that the German military was in charge of the evacuation operation at Wadi Saeedna. 120 British personnel are working closely with the German government and the military. - Financial Times.
Wallace also said that there was an order for a warship HMS Lancaster to sail to the Port of Sudan where the British forces are seen securing the area. This allows the clearing of the area from danger and humanitarian aid to reach people.
There are currently power cuts seen in the country, with limited access to food, water or medication as the UN has described. This can not only lead to more casualties but also a rise in more diseases for people who are wounded or drink contaminated water.
Edited by: Rhea Jimmy
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