As fighting rages on in Sudan, countries are rushing to evacuate their citizens from the conflict-torn nation. Besides US and UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain have also conducted rescue missions.
A day after the US airlifted its embassy staffers, three Chinook helicopters were deployed to evacuate nearly 100 US citizens in what the authorities described as a "fast and clean" operation.
The US embassy in Khartoum is now closed. A tweet on the official page read: "Due to the uncertain security situation in Khartoum and closure of the airport, it is not currently safe to undertake a U.S. government-coordinated evacuation of private U.S. citizens. However, we remain dedicated to assisting U.S. citizens remaining in Sudan."
The UK Government too managed to rescue British diplomats and their families out of Sudan in a complex and rapid" operation, according to BBC. The report quoting Foreign Minister James Cleverly said the options to evacuate the remaining British nationals in Sudan were "severely limited".
Meanwhile, there were reports that the French convoy came under attack, injuring one person. Though the French authorities have not confirmed the reports, the warring factions of the armed forces in Sudan have blamed each other for the incident, reported Reuters.
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that two flights carrying French citizens left Sudan for Djibouti on Sunday and Monday, taking the number of people evacuated so far to 388.
Besides the attack on the French convoy, a Qatari convoy heading to Port Sudan was also allegedly looted. While an Iraqi citizen was killed, a diplomat from Egypt was also hurt in the attack.
Other countries that evacuated people include Canada, Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Spain. The Spanish mission also included citizens from Argentina, Colombia, Ireland, Portugal, Poland, Mexico, Venezuela and Sudan.
The rushed evacuation has led to long lines of United Nations vehicles and buses heading from Khartoum towards Port Sudan on the Red Sea.
Meanwhile, the constant bombardment has resulted in airports being non-operational. While the main international airport has been rendered useless after planes and runways were destroyed, other airports have also been knocked out of operation.
Besides the lack of operational airports, the evacuation efforts are also hampered by a near-total collapse of internet and phone service on Sunday.
People flee warzone
Thousands of Sudanese have fled fighting in Khartoum and elsewhere, UN agencies said. However, millions are sheltering in their homes amid explosions, gunfire and looting without adequate electricity, food or water.
In the western region of Darfur, up to 20,000 people left for neighbouring Chad. War is not new to Darfur, where ethnically motivated violence has killed up to 300,000 people since 2003. But Sudan is not used to such heavy fighting in its capital, which "has become a ghost city, said Atiya Abdalla Atiya of the Doctors' Syndicate.
(With inputs from PTI)