By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The evacuation of Pakistani citizens from conflict-hit Sudan is ongoing as the first convoy of 427 Pakistanis has departed from Khartoum and arrived at the Port of Sudan, a government statement said on Monday.
The Foreign Office stated that these individuals will travel to Jeddah by sea, and from there they will return to Pakistan through Pakistan International Airlines and Pakistan Air Force planes.
Temporary residence and food arrangements have been made instructions, and an emergency helpline has been established at Pakistan’s embassy in Sudan, it added.
“We continue to follow the developments in Sudan and work with our Missions in the region to provide relief to Pakistanis there. 427 Pakistanis reached Port Sudan safely and are being lodged before arrangements for their onward journey are coordinated,” the Foreign Ministry tweeted.
Officials from the Pakistani embassy are constantly in contact with besieged Pakistanis citizens.
The Crisis Management Cell at the Foreign Office has been activated by the government to assist in the secure evacuation of Pakistanis.
The government is closely monitoring the situation in Sudan and consistently taking measures to ensure the safety and security of Pakistani citizens, according to an earlier statement from the prime minister’s office.
“Pakistan’s embassy in Sudan was in constant touch with the 1,500 Pakistanis living in the country and was providing them with all possible facilities,” the statement added.
Even during Eid holidays, the ministry was active in assisting with the safe and early evacuation of Pakistani expatriates from Sudan.
The Foreign Office is also in contact with Saudi Arabia regarding the safe evacuation of Pakistanis from Sudan.
The violence between the military and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, which erupted on April 15, has claimed at least 427 lives in the war-hit country.
Tens of thousands of people, including Sudanese foreign nationals and neighboring citizens, have fled in the past few days, including to Egypt, Chad, and South Sudan.
Military planes from Djibouti have been sent by several countries to transport people out of the capital, including to Port Sudan, where some have boarded ships to Saudi Arabia.
Several nations, including Canada, France, Poland, Switzerland, and the United States, have halted embassy operations until further notice after a number of foreign diplomats were attacked in Sudan in recent days.
The Pakistan Embassy in Khartoum also came under fire last week and was hit by three bullets during the clashes.
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