India rescues 186 more nationals from Sudan

The evacuation was made as a part of  Operation Kaveri.

MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted: "#OperationKaveri continues to bring Indians back home."

"Flight carrying 186 passengers touches down in Kochi," he said.

Bagchi said nearly 3000 persons have now left Sudan under Operation Kaveri.

What is Operation Kaveri?

The Indian government launched the operation to bring back Indians stranded in Sudan.

Sudan situation:

Meanwhile, in light of the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Sudan, Secretary-General António Guterres is sending UN Humanitarian Affairs chief Martin Griffiths to the region immediately, the global body announced on Sunday.  

“The scale and speed of what is unfolding is unprecedented in Sudan. We are extremely concerned by the immediate as well as long-term impact on all people in Sudan, and the broader region,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement.

The UN again urged the warring sides to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, allow safe passage for civilians fleeing hostilities, and respect humanitarian workers and assets.

Sudan has been undergoing a turbulent transition to civilian rule in the wake of the April 2019 overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir.  A power-sharing government that brought together military and civilian leaders was also toppled in a coup in October 2021.

The Trilateral Mechanism has been facilitating talks since May 2022 which resulted in an agreement towards restoring civilian rule, signed that December.

However, hopes shattered two weeks ago when fighting erupted between the regular Sudanese army, led by General al-Burhan, and paramilitary forces under General Dagalo, known as the RSF.

Hundreds of people have been killed, and thousands have been fleeing, including to neighbouring Chad, where some 20,000 Sudanese have found refuge.  Others are sheltering in the Central African Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya and South Sudan, often among already vulnerable communities.

The fighting has also forced the UN to essentially halt all aid operations in a country where nearly 16 million people, roughly one third of the population, already were in need.