700 Pakistanis evacuated from Sudan fighting
An aircraft from the French Air Force, which picked up evacuees of different nationalities from Sudan, arrives in Djibouti, according to French President Emmanuel Macron's official Twitter account, in this undated handout image released on April 23, 2023. PHOTO: REUTERS
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Tuesday that 700 nationals have been evacuated to safety in Sudan, where heavy fighting has killed hundreds of people and sparked an exodus of foreigners.
"Today, another convoy carrying 211 Pakistanis dispatched from Khartoum has arrived in Port Sudan," he said in a statement.
"With the latest convoy, the total number of Pakistanis who have been evacuated to safety has reached 700."
Pakistanis were being housed near the port before their onward journey, he tweeted earlier this week.
The ministry said around 1,500 Pakistanis were in Sudan, whose safety and security was being closely monitored.
Read more: Foreign states rush to evacuate from Sudan
Sporadic gunfire rang out in parts of the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Tuesday despite a US-brokered agreement between the warring sides to a ceasefire for 72 hours to pave the way for talks on a more lasting truce.
At least 427 people have been killed and more than 3,700 wounded, according to UN agencies. More than 4,000 people have fled the country in foreign-organised evacuations that began on Saturday.