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More Filipino evacuees from Sudan to arrive in Philippines this week - DFA

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Courtesy of Department of Foreign Affairs" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/04/30/ofw-sudan-dfa.jpg"/><figcaption><em>Courtesy of Department of Foreign Affairs</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — More Filipinos fleeing conflict-hit Sudan are expected to arrive in the Philippines this week, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday.</p><p>So far, over 600 Filipinos have left Sudanese capital Khartoum, which has been rocked anew by heavy fighting between army forces and paramilitaries.</p><p>Of the figure, some 340 of them were evacuated to Cairo and are awaiting repatriation to Manila.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/01/23/340-pinoys-affected-by-sudan-conflict-await-repatriation">340 Filipinos affected by Sudan conflict await repatriation - OWWA</a></li></ul><p>&quot;I think we can say that everybody who wanted to leave Khartoum has left Khartoum. Eventually, there may be a few more coming in the next few days,&quot; Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega told ANC&#x27;s &quot;Headstart&quot;.</p><p>There are at least 700 Filipino nationals registered in Sudan.</p><p>No Filipino fatality has been reported from the ongoing conflict.</p><p>So far, some 17 Filipinos are already back home.</p><p>The DFA said around 15 more Filipinos would arrive in Manila on Monday night.</p><p>&quot;Every day, for the next several days, there will be 25 to 30 going home,&quot; De Vega said.</p><p>&quot;We have spent and this is only the DFA, about 1 million dollars, including repatriation flights and of course, renting the buses.&quot;</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2599774" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div><strong>&#x27;KATAPUSAN NA NAMIN&#x27;</strong></div><p>A Filipino, who managed to escape the intense fighting in Sudan, shared the trauma of being caught in the crossfire.</p><p>Fatima Dela Cruz is among first batch of Filipino repatriates who arrived in Manila Saturday night after escaping to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.</p><p>She worked as a nanny for the children of foreign ambassadors in Sudan.</p><p>&quot;Talagang putukan talaga. Nag-iiyakan na kami. Yakap-yakap na kami sa isa&#x27;t isa tapos tumawag na kami sa pamilya namin kung ano man ang nangyari,&quot; Dela Cruz also told &quot;Headstart&quot;.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/30/23/repatriated-pinoys-from-sudan-recall-horrors-of-conflict">Repatriated Filipinos from Sudan recount horrors of conflict: &#x27;Kahit saan may baril na naririnig&#x27;</a></li></ul><p>While they were going to Port Sudan, they were flagged by the military.</p><p>&quot;Naharang po kami ng mga militar at ang sabi namin katapusan na namin &#x27;to. Hawak kamay kami, &#x27;di kami makatingin sa tao, basta nagdasal na lang po kami pero ang alam namin, katapusan na namin kasi nang-hohostage sila eh... Nanggagahasa sila. Kaya takot na takot kami,&quot; Dela Cruz recalled.</p><p>&quot;Mabuti na lang magaling sumagot &#x27;yung driver. Sabi nya, &#x27;Mga taga-luto &#x27;yan. Kailangan nila magluto sa mga amo nila.&#x27; Ta&#x27;s tinignan &#x27;yung mga dala namin. Sabi nila, sige, umalis na kayo. Nakahinga po kami ng maluwag nun,&quot; she added.</p><p>Despite the tensions there, Dela Cruz is willing to return to Sudan.</p><p>&quot;&#x27;Pag medyo okay na po siguro ang situwasyon, puwede po kasi ang amo ko ay babalik pa rin siya doon,&quot; she said.</p><p>But Dela Cruz called on the Philippine government to provide &quot;quality jobs&quot; to the affected overseas Filipino workers so they would stay here.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2599780" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div><strong>RESPECT SAFETY OF HEALTH WORKERS</strong></div><p>An international medical humanitarian organization is calling on warring military factions in Sudan to respect the safety of health-care workers and sanctity of medical facilities.</p><p>Also in an ANC interview, the Doctors Without Borders said the conflict there proved to be a challenge in providing medical supplies to health facilities.</p><p>The group has so far donated supplies to 3 facilities in Sudan as the threat of a health system collapse looms.</p><p>&quot;We call for safe passage of ambulances, safe passage of civilians. We call for access to humanitarian assistance... it is everyone&#x27;s interest to try and ensure that these things are in place,&quot; Paul McPhun, director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific for Doctors Without Borders, told &quot;Headstart&quot;.</p><p>&quot;We are also calling for vital airports to be reopened. A number of airports around the region, most of them, have been the site of conflict.</p><p>&quot;So, getting in and out with supplies and people is being severely disrupted. For us, the next step is we have emergency teams on standby but getting them in is a huge challenge,&quot; McPhun added.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/29/23/8-ofws-mula-sudan-nakauwi-na-sa-pilipinas">8 OFWs mula Sudan nakauwi na sa Pilipinas</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2599781" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>Army forces clashed with paramilitary elements in downtown Khartoum as deadly hostilities have entered a third week despite the latest ceasefire, which was formally set to expire at the end of Sunday.</p><p>Foreign nations have scrambled to evacuate thousands of their citizens by air, road and sea since the fighting plunged the poverty-stricken country into deadly turmoil on April 15.</p><p>Millions of Sudanese have endured crippling shortages of water, food and other basic supplies, while tens of thousands have fled to neighboring countries, with more on their way.</p><p>The turmoil could deepen further in the power struggle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).</p><p>The violence has killed at least 528 people and wounded about 4,600, the health ministry said Saturday, but those figures are likely to be incomplete.</p><div><strong>— With a report from Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

More Filipinos fleeing conflict-hit Sudan are expected to arrive in the Philippines this week, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday.