Around 212 Thai citizens, and 3 foreign spouses, have fled Sudan via Saudi Arabia, according to a Nation Thailand report. It’s understood the evacuees departed the port city of Jeddah on a Royal Thai Airforce plane last night. The group was moved from the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, to Port Sudan, from where they took a boat to Saudi Arabia.
According to deputy government spokesperson Ratchada Dhnadirek, Saudi Arabia granted the Royal Thai Airforce permission to land in Jeddah and pick up the group. The 212 Thais had previously registered with Thailand’s Foreign Ministry, requesting to be evacuated as the conflict in Sudan intensified.
Fighting broke out in the Sudanese capital on April 11, the result of clashes between two rival factions of the country’s military. To date, the fighting has mainly been taking place in the twin cities of Omdurman and Khartoum North, according to the Nation Thailand report.
Tens of thousands of people have been displaced as a result of the conflict and around 420 people, including 264 civilians, have been killed. At least 3,700 people have been injured.
Meanwhile, the evacuated Thais and 3 foreign nationals are expected to touch down in Bangkok later this afternoon. They will then be handed over to the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre, which will oversee their return to their home provinces in the south of the country.
SOURCE: Nation Thailand
