…By Henry George for TDPel Media.
Thousands of British citizens are in danger in Sudan as the country continues to experience violence and unrest.
Reports of sniper fire on some roads have made escape a matter of life and death.
While the UK government has sent in the RAF to help with evacuation, many British nationals and dual nationals have had to make their own dangerous trips to safety.
In addition, petrol shortages have made it difficult for people to travel to the evacuation points. Meanwhile, criticism of the government’s response to the crisis is growing.
Evacuation efforts underway:
On Thursday morning, a third RAF evacuation flight landed in Cyprus with at least three more planned for the day.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said that between 200 and 300 British nationals had already been taken out of the country in three rescue missions.
However, some Britons on the ground have had to make their own “perilous journeys” to safety.
Criticism of the government’s response:
Tobias Ellwood, Chair of the Defence Select Committee, has criticized the government’s response to the crisis as “slow”.
He has called for the UK embassy to be moved to Port Sudan on the Red Sea to show support for British expats and dual passport holders.
There are concerns that the UK could repeat the mistakes made in Afghanistan.
The senior Tory MP has questioned why the airbridge out of Sudan was switched off after diplomats and families had been evacuated and why it took so long to switch it back on.
Concerns from those stranded: UK-born student Samar Eltayeb said that she did not have enough petrol to make the one-hour drive from the outskirts of Khartoum to the airstrip.
She expressed concern that she could be stranded if she cannot find petrol.
Yasmin Sholgami, a British charity worker, has reported that her grandparents are stranded in Khartoum without food and water.
British citizen Wathig Ali, who is trying to flee with his pregnant wife and six-year-old son, is worried about the danger of checkpoints and bombing on the way to the airport.
Plans for future evacuations: British military and diplomatic chiefs are planning at least three more flights out of the country.
The first evacuees were expected to arrive in London soon.
More than 2,000 British citizens have registered in Sudan with the Foreign Office.
The British warship HMS Lancaster is also set to arrive off the coast of Sudan with RFA Cardigan Bay.
If the 72-hour ceasefire between warring factions in Sudan collapses and prevents evacuation flights, Port Sudan could be used for evacuations.
It could also be used to bring in supplies to tackle a feared humanitarian crisis.
Conclusion:
The situation in Sudan remains dangerous for British citizens, many of whom are struggling to evacuate amidst violence and petrol shortages.
While the government has sent in the RAF to help with evacuation efforts, concerns about the speed of the response and the safety of those still on the ground persist.
The UK government must continue to work to evacuate all British nationals and dual nationals from Sudan as quickly and safely as possible.