Following a large-scale evacuation of British residents from the northeast African country, Britain announced on Monday that it was investigating the possibility of providing humanitarian aid to Sudan in collaboration with its foreign partners, the United Nations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
The government said at 1630 GMT on Sunday that 2,197 persons had been safely evacuated from Sudan and that a team had been created at Port Sudan to give consular support to Britons departing the country, including those using commercial routes.
More flights carrying Britons and others, including Sudanese doctors employed by Britain’s state-run National Health Service (NHS), were scheduled to depart Port Sudan later that day, raising the possibility of an increase in the death toll.
“As the focus shifts to humanitarian and diplomatic efforts, we will continue to do everything in our power to press for a long-term ceasefire and an immediate end to the violence in Sudan,” said Foreign Minister James Cleverly.
The British government claimed Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto and African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat met with British International Development Minister Andrew Mitchell in Nairobi over the weekend to discuss the problem.
The sudden commencement of hostilities in Sudan caused one of the greatest international evacuations in recent years, with the UN forecasting that 800,000 people would flee the country as a consequence of the situation on Monday.
Following the conclusion of its evacuation flights from Wadi Saeedna airstrip near Khartoum on Saturday, Britain, which estimated last week that approximately 4,000 Britons were stranded in Sudan, organized additional flights from Port Sudan in east Sudan.
The government supported the evacuation of 1,087 people from other nations, including the United States, Ireland, the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, and Australia, in addition to British nationals, according to the statement.
Ben Wallace, the Minister of Defense, has confirmed that a Royal Navy ship would remain in Port Sudan to continue its support.
“The situation remains volatile, and our ability to conduct evacuations may change at any time,” officials added.
