OFWs in Sudan told: Evacuate voluntarily

FILIPINO workers in Sudan can evacuate if they can no longer feel they are safe to stay amid the growing conflict in the African state.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has raised the contingency level for Filipinos in Sudan to Alert 3, or voluntary repatriation.

DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega said they are verifying reports that a Filipino was hit by a stray bullet and recuperating now in the hospital.

There is no Philippine Embassy in Sudan. The Philippine Embassy in Cairo has jurisdiction over diplomatic and consular affairs with Sudan.

“Balita lang ng Embahada (sa Cairo) from the Filipino community (na may sugatang Pilipino), pero walang confirmation. We do not even know the name,” De Vega told BusinessMirror

As of Wednesday, April 19, 86 Filipinos in Sudan have requested for repatriation.

There are around 400 Filipinos in Sudan, as of Wednesday, April 19. This is twice the number of estimates of Filipinos from the survey the Embassy conducted in 2022.

Since fighting between the army and another faction began Sunday, at least 270 people died and more than 2,600 injured.

The DFA said the Embassy is coordinating now with the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Khartoum.