In yet another development into Operation Kaveri, a flight on Sunday brought back 229 passengers from violence-hit Sudan to Karnataka's Bengaluru. Commissioner of Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority, Manoj Rajan while talking to news agency ANI said that so far more than 2,800 people have been evacuated from Sudan in 14 evacuation flights out of which six flights have already reached India and brought 1,700 evacuees with them. Medical facilities are being arranged at the airports to ensure the safety of everyone. The Commissioner said that the evacuees will be tested for Yellow fever upon their arrival and refreshment inputs have been arranged for everyone.
Rajan said that all the evacuees will be dropped off in the districts that they belong to.
All the evacuees that were brought on this flight chanted the slogans of "Vande Mataram" and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" at the airport. An evacuee who returned from Sudan today while talking to ANI said, "My name is Shivanand. I belong to Hakki Pikki tribe. I'm from Gopanala village of Channagiri taluk. I would like to thank the Govt of India & Karnataka and Commissioner of Disaster Management Manoj Rajan. With the media & their help, we came back. I'm proud of my country and my people."
Under Operation Kaveri, India has been transporting its citizens in buses from conflict zones in Khartoum and other troubled areas to Port Sudan, from where they are transported to the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah in heavy-lift transport aircraft and ships of the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy.
India has established separate control rooms in Jeddah and Port Sudan, and the Indian embassy in Khartoum has been coordinating with them as well as the MEA's headquarters in Delhi. Sudan has seen deadly fighting between the country's army and a paramilitary group, which has reportedly killed 400 people.
Last week, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar announced the launch of 'Operation Kaveri' to bring back the stranded Indians from Sudan.