Operation Kaveri: Three batches of stranded Indians have arrived in Jeddah

New Delhi: Indian officials have sped up the process of evacuating stranded Indians in Sudan under Operation Kaveri as the second and third batch of 121 and 135 stranded Indians leave Port Sudan for Jeddah onboard IAF C-130J aircraft, an MEA spokesperson said.

Indian officials have accelerated the evacuation process of stranded citizens in Sudan under Operation Kaveri, as the second and third batches of 121 and 135 Indians have departed Port Sudan for Jeddah onboard Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft.

To provide assistance to those arriving in Port Sudan from different cities in Sudan, the Indian embassy in Sudan has set up a camp at the port. Furthermore, INS Teg, an Indian naval ship, has reached Port Sudan with essential relief supplies and additional Indian staff for support.

Three batches of stranded Indians have arrived in Jeddah, from where they will be flown back to India. Minister of State for the Ministry of External Affairs, V Muaaleedharan, has also arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he received the stranded Indians and is supervising the overall Operation Kaveri. Another makeshift Indian official embassy camp is functioning in Jeddah. The minister has joined the Operation Kaveri team to facilitate and expedite the evacuation of Indians from Sudan.

Earlier S Jaishankar, Ministry of external affairs said that “Operation Kaveri gets underway to bring back our citizens stranded in Sudan. About 500 Indians have reached Port Sudan and many more are on their way.”

The Indian embassy in Sudan asked the Indian citizens willing to leave the country to collect at some designated place with the precaution that the citizens should pay close attention to the situation and their safety and should not take any risk while leaving their safe places.

Earlier three Indians were evacuated by Saudi Arabia who brought out around 150 citizens and embassy people through the sea route.

Several countries have evacuated diplomats and citizens from Sudan's capital as fierce fighting continues to rage in Khartoum. The US and UK announced on Sunday they had flown diplomats out of the country.

BBC reported that the two warring sides have agreed to a ceasefire.  “A ceasefire in Sudan appears to be taking effect at midnight on Monday."

It is the fourth attempt to stop the fighting which began on 15 April for a ceasefire demanding truce for 72 hours so that many countries can evacuate their citizens and civilians can buy food items.

Several countries are still waiting for a green signal from warring groups demanding assurance and security, so they can use the airport to evacuate their citizens and embassy staff. Several embassies have already closed their offices.

Approximately 3,000 Indians are currently stranded in scattered towns throughout Sudan, with the Indian embassy remaining in touch with them and their families, advising them not to venture out due to the unsafe environment.

Sadly, one Indian has already lost his life in the crossfire. India is closely following the developments of the situation in Sudan.

Last Friday, a high-level meeting was held virtually led by Prime Minister Modi to review the security situation in Sudan. The Prime Minister directed contingency evacuation plans, considering the rapidly changing security landscape and the feasibility of various options emphasizing the safety of over 3,000 Indian citizens residing in various towns and cities throughout the country.

Around 450 were killed and about 4,000 people injured as the armed warring groups in Sudan entered the eleventh day running with no end to lawlessness and violence. Residents are suffering from a shortage of water, milk for babies, and essential food items and some places have no electricity.

Sudan has witnessed deadly armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum and other areas since April 15, with the two sides accusing each other of initiating the conflict.