Following an uptick in fighting between government and rebel forces, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs met this afternoon (Thursday) with representatives of the Army, Air Force, and Thai Embassy in Cairo to discuss evacuation plans for Thai nationals residing in Sudan.
Kanchana Patarachoke, the ministry’s spokeswoman, said today that the ministry has expressed grave concern for the safety of 300 Thais who are currently residing in Sudan, including 200 Thai Muslims who are enrolled at the International University of Africa in Khartoum and another 100 who have worked there or are married to Sudanese men.
Since April 15th, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the opposition Rapid Support Forces have been fighting fiercely in and around Khartoum, the country’s capital, as well as neighboring cities.
According to Kanchana, the ministry has approved a first special budget for the Thai Embassy in Cairo, which is near to Sudan, in order to coordinate the delivery of relief goods to Thai nationals there. According to her, embassy representatives in Cairo maintain regular communication with the leader of the Thai community and students in Sudan.
The Foreign Ministry has set up emergency phone lines for the relatives of Thai nationals living in Sudan:
09-6352-0513 09-6165-7120 09-6352-9015
They can also send an email to consular.cai@mfa.go.th or give the Thai Embassy in Cairo a call at +201019601243.
The UN health agency reports that thousands of people have fled Khartoum for safety and that almost 300 people have died in the last five days.
According to the Sudanese Doctor’s Union, the war has rendered around 70% of the hospitals in Khartoum and its neighboring states inoperable.
