The Kurdish Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) has evacuated 369 stranded Syrians from Sudan.
A prominent AANES official stressed that the Administration is committed to its humanitarian duties toward those stranded in Sudan.
Badran Jia Kurd, head of the Department of Foreign Relations in the Autonomous Administration, told Asharq Al-Awsat that as the war escalates in Sudan “the AANES continues through its official missions in Sudan’s neighboring countries to fulfill its responsible duty towards our stranded relatives in Sudan.”
Three flights carrying around 396 Syrians had arrived in the self-administration regions.
The official remarked that there were some obstacles, but they were overcome successfully, extending thanks to all the humanitarian international and Arab parties in helping operate the flights.
Kurdish authorities evacuated more than 150 individuals, including women and children, in the first week of May after the escalation of battles in Sudan.
Jia said the AANES evacuated 18 individuals, including three newborns, to Qamishli on the second flight in mid-May.
“The third trip a few days ago included 201 women and children, including 31 newborns and three corpses,” said Jia, adding that this last batch had flown in from the capital Damascus.
These efforts are part of the autonomous administration’s initiative that was launched in mid-April and aims at evacuating Syrian refugees who fled the fierce battles between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces.
Jia expressed the AANES’ deep concern over the situation in Sudan, hoping its people won’t have to endure the same suffering as the Syrian people.
Media reports had said that around 20 Syrians have died in the Sudan clashes that erupted in April.
The United Nations announced that over 730 people have been killed and 5,500 wounded.
Meanwhile, diplomatic sources in Damascus told Syria’s Al-Watan newspaper on Thursday that so far 6,000 Syrians have been evacuated from Sudan.
The sources added that regular daily trips, transporting an average of 170 people, are taking place from Port Sudan to Damascus International Airport.
They went on to say that 2,000-3,000 Syrians remain in Port Sudan waiting to be evacuated in the coming days.
