FIRST BATCH OF 17 FILIPINO EVACUEES FROM SUDAN ARRIVE IN MANILA

 

Dateline Kamuning:

The Secretary for Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo, together with officials of the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (OUMWA), Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) welcomed the first batch of seventeen (17) government-assisted Filipino evacuees from Sudan, who arrived in Manila this afternoon after flying out yesterday from Athens, Greece and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 

Eight (8) overseas Filipinos were hotel workers in Sudan who boarded a military evacuation flight after successful representations made with the Greek government by the Philippine Embassy in Athens. The Embassy received the group in Athens on the morning of 28 April 2023, Friday, and afterwards immediately arranged for their flight back to the Philippines, through the DFA’s Assistance-to-Nationals Fund. 

The remaining nine (9) overseas Filipinos, including one infant, fled Khartoum via Port Sudan where they boarded a C130 plane of the Saudi Royal Air Force bound for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah received the group on 27 April 2023, Thursday, and immediately provided assistance to the evacuees by issuing travel documents to those who did not have their original passports with them. 

The OWWA provided the repatriation tickets for eight (8) of the evacuees who are overseas Filipino workers, while the Consulate arranged for the flight of the other evacuee who is a student in Sudan.

“The Philippine government is working round-the-clock to assist our kababayans who have left Sudan”, said Secretary Manalo, who highlighted that DFA-led teams are present on the ground to facilitate the repatriation of these overseas Filipinos. Personnel from the DMW, OWWA, and the Department of National Defense have also been deployed to augment the evacuation efforts.

Secretary Manalo took the opportunity to thank other countries who have lent a helping hand to the Philippines, noting the instrumental role of diplomacy in ensuring the welfare of overseas Filipinos during times of crisis.

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As of writing, a total of 610 Filipinos have evacuated from Khartoum, with 391 having crossed to the Egyptian side of the border in buses chartered by the Philippine Embassy in Cairo and the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Sudan. The Embassy is currently arranging for their temporary visas and repatriation flights to the Philippines, while DMW and OWWA are preparing for shelter and other welfare assistance during transit. 

Another 45 overseas Filipinos are expected to be evacuated by sea to Saudi Arabia, where the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah has also been providing the necessary support.

“Our DFA offices and diplomatic missions concerned are determined to bring our people home safely, as soon as possible”, Secretary Manalo assured.