UAE evacuates citizens from Sudan amid crisis

Support has also been given to people of 19 other nationalities, who will be hosted in the Emirates before they are flown home

The announcement comes as the UAE said it had raised Dh10 billion via Emirates Red Crescent for those in need. Photo: UAE Presidential Court

Latest: Live updates from Sudan crisis

The UAE has evacuated its citizens and people of other nationalities from Sudan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation announced on Tuesday.

In a statement, the UAE government said it had prioritised securing the safe exit of the most vulnerable groups, which include women, children, the elderly, the sick and people with disabilities, as part of the humanitarian operation.

Support has also been given to people of 19 different nationalities, who will be hosted in the UAE before they are flown to their home countries.

The announcement comes as the UAE said it had raised Dh10 billion via Emirates Red Crescent for those in need, including orphans, those affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, and now Sudan, as part of its commitment to supporting other countries in times of crisis.

Evacuation efforts have intensified after a US and Saudi-brokered 72-hour ceasefire came into effect at midnight on Monday.

While local media reported a “cautious calm” in parts of Khartoum, many residents in the capital woke up to shelling on the first day of the truce.

Saudi Arabia announced on Monday that it had helped 91 citizens from the kingdom and 66 from other countries including the UAE, Qatar, Canada, the Philippines and India, escape the Sudanese capital.

India began to evacuate its first group of citizens on a naval warship on Tuesday.

Sudan conflict — in pictures