Saudi Arabia evacuated nearly 5,000 people of 96 nationalities from Sudan

The Saudi ship Amana docked today in the Red Sea port of Jeddah with almost 2,000 civilians on board, bringing to almost 5,000 the number of people of 96 different nationalities evacuated from Sudan by Saudi Arabia since the outbreak of the conflict in the African country just a fortnight ago.  

In a statement, the Saudi foreign ministry said that 1,886 people, including 20 Saudis, were on board the Amana today, and said the Arab kingdom is working "to ensure all the needs of foreign nationals in preparation for their return to their countries of origin".  

This new operation, the largest ever undertaken by Saudi Arabia, brings the number of people evacuated from Sudan by the Arab kingdom to 4,879, according to the statement.  

Most of those evacuated by Saudi Arabia come from the Middle East and North Africa, as well as Central Asia, while there are also citizens from France, the United Kingdom, Panama, Ecuador, Germany and the United States.  

Since 15 April, Sudan has been embroiled in a conflict between the army and the powerful paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF), clashes that began due to tensions over how to integrate the paramilitaries into the armed forces in the framework of a democratic transition process.  

At least 512 people have been killed and more than 4,000 injured in the clashes, which have devastated Sudan's health system and forced the displacement of tens of thousands of people, according to the UN.  

Several countries have evacuated their citizens from Sudan, including Spain, while UN agencies have warned that the conflict is causing a large displacement of Sudanese to neighbouring countries.  

According to figures from the UN and other institutions, around 50,000 people have fled Sudanese territory to neighbouring countries since the 15th, mainly to Chad, South Sudan and Egypt.  

The UN estimates that the violence could displace more than 270,000 people if it does not stop.