Government Declares Mission Successful After Evacuation

(ReliableNews.org) – In mid-April, fighting broke out in Sudan between the military and a paramilitary force. More than 500 people have died since the conflict began, and nations are scrambling to get their citizens out of there. Recently, the United Kingdom wrapped up its evacuation.

On Monday, May 1, the final UK flight left Sudan carrying British citizens. Sky News reported the British military evacuated more than 2,100 people from the African nation on over 20 rescue flights. The Foreign Office said it was the largest and longest airlift of any of the Western nations.

More than 1,000 British personnel were dispatched to rescue the British nationals. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the government also rescued foreign doctors, including those from Sudan, who work for the National Health Service (NHS). In total, more than 1,000 foreigners were flown to safety, including people from the US.

A few myth busting thoughts on the UK’s evacuation operation in Sudan: 1. The UK reacted as quickly (if not quicker in some areas) in standing up a evacuation force. 2. It will have to operate for longer and have greater capacity than other Nations with smaller national numbers. pic.twitter.com/peXlllCvVM

— Greg Bagwell (@gregbagwell) April 26, 2023

The decision to fly the doctors and their families out of Sudan came after the UK first said it wasn’t going to happen because they didn’t have British passports. The British Medical Association pushed the government to reverse that stance and get them out of the war zone. At least 20 of the evacuees were physicians.

The United States is also carrying out an evacuation of Americans in Sudan. The US Navy dispatched the USNS Brunswick to move roughly 300 people from Port Sudan to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The USS Lewis B. Puller was also waiting in the Red Sea to help with the evacuation.

There are thousands of Americans in Sudan. Many of them have dual citizenship and families there. The US embassy was shuttered in law April, and the federal government has been very cautious when it comes to the evacuation. Initially, officials said it was too dangerous to evacuate the people there but have since reversed course. More than a dozen other countries are trying to get their citizens out of the nation as well.