A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) plane has evacuated 36 Australians and family members overnight.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong confirmed via Twitter on Wednesday that more than 190 Australians have fled Sudan since the fight began on the 15th of April.
Australia supported the international evacuation effort overnight with a flight carrying 36 Australians and their family members, as well as citizens from 6 other countries.
Thank you to @DefenceAust and @dfat officials on the ground.
More than 190 Australians have left Sudan. pic.twitter.com/lPHNGPDnVI
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) May 2, 2023
“We have been doing all we can to assist Australians with the support of our partners, bearing in mind we don’t have people on the ground in an embassy in Sudan,” Senator Wong told the ABC.
“Unfortunately, we still have Australians on the ground and we’ll continue to engage through our consular team with the Australians who are on the ground, and we urge people to make sure that they are registered.”
United Nations (UN) officials have said that over 100,000 people fled Sudan during the third week of their humanitarian crisis, but remain concerned that more than 334,000 people have been displaced within Sudan.
The health ministry has reported that at least 528 people have been killed and 4,599 wounded, but the UN believes the actual toll is significantly higher.
Director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in East Africa, Michael Dunford, has warned that the conflict is likely to affect other countries.
“The risk is this is not just going to be a Sudan crisis, it’s going to be a regional crisis,” he said.
The WTP had confirmed on Monday that they have resumed work in safer areas of Sudan after WTP staff members were killed in the conflict.
UN humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, Abdou Dieng, warned that the humanitarian crisis was turning into a “full-blown catastrophe” at a state briefing in Geneva on Monday.
“It has been more than two weeks of devastating fighting in Sudan, a conflict that is turning Sudan humanitarian crisis into a full-blown catastrophe,” he said.
Officials have said that both sides of the conflict will extend their truce by 72 hours after it was due to end last Sunday.
Photo: Royal Australian Air Force Roulettes PC-21 by POPPY available HERE and used under a Creative Commons license. This image has not been modified.
