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Hundreds more evacuees rescued from battle-scarred Sudan arrive in Saudi Arabia
Hundreds of people from more than two dozen countries – including Saudi Arabia – who have been rescued from battle-scarred Sudan have arrived in Jeddah in the latest evacuation of civilians since fighting began, state news agency SPA announced on Monday.
The Saudi Arabian Navy ship HMS Yanbu, carrying 199 people, including nationals of other countries evacuated from Sudan, arrived at the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah, SPA said.
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The number of arrivals is approximately 199, including Saudi nationals and citizens of the USA, UK, Sweden, Italy, Qatar, Syria, Netherlands, Iraq, Turkey, Tanzania, Lebanon and Libya.
The rescue operation was lauded by international diplomats.
British Consul-General Cecille El Beleidi in Jeddah expressed thanks to Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the Saudi government's role in the evacuation of British nationals from Sudan.
For his part, the US Consul General in Jeddah, Faris Asad, praised the Kingdom's humanitarian efforts, while thanking all institutions in the Kingdom for their hospitality and efforts in facilitating US nationals' procedures from their departure until their arrival at Saudi territory.
Abdul Razzaq Al-Manfi, Libyan Consul in Jeddah, also commended the Kingdom's efforts, as did Maya Hadi, the Deputy Consul of Iraq.
In a separate evacuation, SPA announced that evacuees from Korea arrived in Jeddah on Monday from Sudan.
An evacuation plane landed at Jeddah-based King Abdullah Air Base in the western sector, carrying 29 nationals from the Republic of Korea led by the Korean ambassador to Sudan and several Korean diplomats.
They were received by the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Kingdom, Park Joon-Yong, and several civilian and military officials.
On behalf of the Presidential Office in the Republic of Korea, the Korean ambassador expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabia for the Kingdom's government's contribution to the evacuation of Korean nationals from Sudan.
According to SPA, the total number of those evacuated by the kingdom is 356, including 101 Saudi nationals and 255 other nationalities.
Clashes erupted on April 15 between forces loyal to Burhan and those of his deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The former allies seized power in a 2021 coup but later fell out in a bitter power struggle.
The conflict — much of which has taken place in Khartoum — has left hundreds dead and thousands wounded.
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Saudi citizens, other nationals evacuated from Sudan arrive in Jeddah