The UK government has confirmed that the first evacuation flight carrying British nationals has left Sudan. More flights are expected overnight as the military tries to evacuate hundreds of people from the war-torn country during a 72-hour ceasefire. The elderly, families with children, and those with medical conditions will be given priority on flights leaving from an airfield near Khartoum.
People are being asked to make their way to the airport without an escort, and the situation is described as "fast-moving." The UK government is under increasing pressure to help its citizens flee the fierce fighting, with an estimated 4,000 UK citizens thought to be in Sudan and 2,000 of them having already requested help.
The government has stated that only British passport holders and their immediate family members with existing UK entry clearance are eligible. The Foreign Office initially advised people not to travel to the evacuation site until instructed to do so, but updated its advice on Tuesday, urging people to make their own way to the Wadi Saeedna airfield north of Khartoum as soon as possible.
The RAF is involved in the evacuation, with Germany ending its operation at the airfield after airlifting around 500 people. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has confirmed that Royal Marines are making contingencies for any humanitarian response and preparing an alternative route out of Sudan via a port on the east coast.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has said the government is unable to escort people to the airfield, and UK citizens must make their own way there. He has contacted military leaders in Sudan but says it is impossible to predict how long the evacuation window will remain open. Downing Street says the evacuees will first be taken to Cyprus before being transported back to the UK.
