Jeddah: Indian Air Force C-130 J flight on Monday evacuated the 17th batch of 122 Indians from Port Sudan to Jeddah amid heavy infighting in Sudan.
“#OperationKaveri IAF C-130 J flight brings 17th batch of evacuees from Port Sudan to Jeddah. 122 Indians evacuated by this flight,” tweeted Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia. Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi stated that 135 passengers are heading to Jeddah from Port Sudan onboard an IAF C-130J flight.
“17th batch of Indian evacuees departs from Port Sudan onboard IAF C-130J flight. 135 passengers are heading to Jeddah. #OperationKaveri,” he tweeted.
Fighting is underway in Khartoum as the UN warns that Sudan is at a humanitarian “breaking point”.
Rival military forces accuse each other of new violations of a ceasefire that they had just agreed to extend as their devastating conflict enters a third week.
The United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Sudan has warned that the humanitarian crisis in the country is turning into a “full flown catastrophe” and that the risk of spillover into neighbouring countries was worrisome.
“It has been more than two weeks of devastating fighting in Sudan, a conflict that is turning Sudan’s humanitarian crisis into a full-blown catastrophe,” Abdou Dieng, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, told a briefing of member states via video link.
The UN assistant high commissioner for refugees has said that more than 800,000 people may flee Sudan.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Monday tweeted: “With almost 1400 Indians evacuated in IAF aircraft over the past few days, two C-130 J aircraft have evacuated 260 personnel including elders who were above 90 years of age & one above 102 years of age.” Kaveri.
