Operation Kaveri: 20th batch with 116 Indian evacuees arrive in Jeddah

The twentieth batch, carrying 116 stranded Indian evacuees on an Indian Air Force C-130J flight, has arrived in Jeddah from Port Sudan.

“20th batch of evacuees arrives in Jeddah from Port Sudan. IAF C-130J flight brings 116 evacuees,” the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia said in the tweet.

Sudan is currently reeling under the conflict between rival factions of military and para-military forces.

Meanwhile, in India, at least 328 more passengers have landed in New Delhi. “328 more passengers have landed in New Delhi. #OperationKaveri moving steadily forward as around 3000 have reached India now,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted.

Another ‘Operation Kaveri’ flight carrying 231 Indian evacuees reached Gujarat’s Ahmedabad on Tuesday from Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said.

“Another #OperationKaveri flight lands in Ahmedabad. 231 more passengers have reached home safely,” the EAM tweeted. Under Operation Kaveri, the 10th flight carrying Indian nationals left Jeddah earlier on Tuesday.

The United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Sudan has warned that the humanitarian crisis in the country is turning into a “full flown catastrophe” and that the risk of spillover into neighbouring countries was worrisome.

“It has been more than two weeks of devastating fighting in Sudan, a conflict that is turning Sudan’s humanitarian crisis into a full-blown catastrophe,” Abdou Dieng, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, told a briefing of member states via video link.

Fighting is underway in Khartoum as the UN warns that Sudan is at a humanitarian “breaking point”.

Rival military forces accuse each other of new violations of a ceasefire that they had just agreed to extend as their devastating conflict enters a third week.

Sudan continues to face bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces.

Earlier, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Sunday said that nearly 2300 evacuee Indians have reached the country.