he Government came under growing pressure on Monday to evacuate Britons from war-hit Sudan as rescue missions from other European nations were being carried out.
UK diplomats and their families were brought to safety in a “complex and rapid” rescue operation, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed on Sunday. But, British nationals in Khartoum told the Telegraph they feel “abandoned” by diplomats after being told by the Government to shelter in place while embassy staff were evacuated.
The Sudanese Junior Doctors Association UK said it is aware of 71 Sudanese NHS doctors, who are British citizens or residents, “currently trapped” in Sudan because of the “ongoing conflict”.
“We are concerned for their safety and the safety of their spouses and children,” the association said on Sunday evening.
“These are UK citizens or residents and a mixture of consultants and junior doctors, the situation is worsening and they need immediate evacuation from this war zone.”
The evacuation of British Embassy staff and their families from the capital Khartoum involved more than 1,200 personnel from the British Army, Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force.
Meanwhile European nations are working to remove their citizens. A first German air force plane with 101 people evacuated from Sudan arrived in Berlin early on Monday, according to a military source.
The Airbus A321 had transported the evacuees from the Jordanian base Al Azrak that the German military is using as a hub for the evacuation operation to Berlin.
In total, the German military has flown out 313 people from Sudan so far, the source said.
Meanwhile, a Dutch military plane with evacuees flew from Sudan to Jordan early on Monday, the Dutch foreign ministry said.
People from different nationalities, including Dutch nationals, were on board the plane, the ministry said without giving further detail.
The Irish Government has confirmed it planned to send a team to Sudan to evacuate Irish citizens.
The capital Khartoum is gripped by an internal battle for control between rival generals. More than 420 people have been killed and millions have been trapped without basic access to services since the fighting broke out in Sudan.
Senior Opposition MPs said they remained “deeply concerned” about the welfare of British nationals still in Sudan.
In a joint statement, shadow foreign secretary David Lammy and shadow defence secretary John Healey said: “We need to know about Government plans to help them and the steps the UK is taking to support an immediate ceasefire.”
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly chaired a sixth Cobra session to discuss the “escalation” of violence in Sudan.
Mr Cleverly has warned that UK Government efforts to provide assistance to those stuck in Sudan will remain “severely limited” until a ceasefire is reached.
Mr Cleverly is expected to deliver an emergency statement on the latest developments in the Commons on Monday.
The official advice continues to be for UK nationals to register their presence in Sudan with the Foreign Office and to stay indoors.
The prospect of airlifting large numbers of people out of Sudan has been complicated by the fact that most major airports have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital has proven perilous.
US special forces also evacuated about 70 of its staff from Khartoum on Sunday but Washington has so far said it remains too dangerous to carry out government-co-ordinated mass evacuation of citizens.
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