320 more Filipinos from Sudan flee to Egypt, now awaiting repatration
MANILA, Philippines — More Filipinos remain in hotels and shelters in Egypt after fleeing conflict-ridden Sudan while awaiting repatration to Manila, according to Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Affairs Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega on Saturday.
Three weeks of fighting between forces of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces have resulted in hundreds of casualties — two forces who used to be allied with one another while ousting former president Omar al-Bashir in a coup.
"There are 320 who are still... being provided shelters in different hotels," De Vega said during an interview by ABS-CBN TeleRadyo in Filipino on Saturday.
"There are no more Filipinos stranded at the Egyptian-Sudanese border. Everyone has already entered. It's only a matter of repatriating them one by one."
The Department of Foreign Affairs aims to repatriate Filipinos by next weekend.
Around 50 more Filipinos from Port Sudan were said to have reached Saudi Arabia as well, according to De Vera. They also thanked the government of Saudi Arabia after they sent military vessels to evacuate people.
At least 179 Filipinos from Sudan have been repatriated to the Philippines so far. However, at least 100 Filipinos Filipinos remain in Sudan to this day.
"We plead to them to contact us. We have our final repatration. There are still two buses who will pick up Filipinos this week who will be brought to Port Sudan," De Vega said.
Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople earlier said that some American and Saudi Arabian companies are considering on taking in Filipino workers displaced by the conflict in Sudan.
- Latest
- Trending
