British nationals in Sudan were given until midday on Saturday to reach the airfield near Khartoum to board the last evacuation flight from the war-torn country. Declining demand for seats and the risk of renewed conflict have led the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to wrap up the campaign. Diplomats and their families left Sudan by April 23 after the Sudanese Armed Forces agreed to facilitate the evacuation of UK, U.S., French, and Chinese nationals.
To airlift other British nationals and their immediate families who wished to leave and were able to get to the airfield, the Royal Air Force took over the Wadi Saeedna airfield from the Germans. Evacuees were flown to Cyprus and then to the UK. Over 1,500 individuals had been flown out of the country by Friday, out of the total of 2,000 UK citizens who registered earlier in the week. Meanwhile, the eligibility criteria for evacuation reportedly broadened to include Sudanese NHS doctors.
There are currently no plans to create a specific resettlement scheme for anyone fleeing Sudan, as confirmed by Downing Street. The conflict in Sudan broke out on April 15, disabling an internationally backed transition toward democratic elections while reawakening a two-decade-old conflict in the western Darfur region. The fighting has claimed over 500 lives so far, including U.S. citizens. Despite a 72-hour ceasefire announced earlier in the week, airstrikes and artillery strikes continue with urban warfare affecting many residents who are short of essential supplies.