Operation Kaveri: 328 Indians leave Jeddah on Delhi-bound flight
May 02, 2023
Jeddah [Saudi Arabia], May 2 : As fighting continues in conflict-ridden Sudan, the 11th outbound flight carrying a group of 328 Indian nationals has left from Jeddah for New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday.
Taking to Twitter, MEA official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "#OperationKaveri 11th outbound flight Jeddah to New Delhi 328 passengers."
The flight is carrying Indian evacuees from Jeddah to New Delhi under Operation Kaveri. Sudan is currently reeling under the conflict between rival factions of military and para-military forces.
Meanwhile, an Indian Air Force (IAF) C-130J aircraft carrying the 18th batch of 135 Indian evacuees from Port Sudan has reached Jeddah.
Embassy of India, Riyadh tweeted, "#OperationKaveri IAF C-130J aircraft carrying 18th batch of Indian evacuees reached Jeddah evacuating 135 passengers. @MEAIndia."
Earlier, as the flight flew from Jeddah, Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, India, tweeted, "IAF C-130J aircraft carrying 18th batch of Indian evacuees departs from Port Sudan. !35 passengers are on their way to Jeddah. #OperationKaveri."
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.
