Manila: Since there are still about 100 Filipinos in the war-torn nation, the Philippines has urged its citizens who chose to remain there to register for repatriation, according to a statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs on Monday.
When deadly clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces broke out in April, nearly 900 overseas Filipino workers and their families were in Sudan.
Since then, at least 748 people have returned home, been rescued by Saudi security forces and brought to safety in the Kingdom, or been evacuated by Philippine government teams to the neighbouring country of Egypt.
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However, dozens continue to choose to remain in Sudan, raising concerns among Philippine officials due to the country's escalating tensions and the deadly violence there, which has already claimed hundreds of lives.
According to DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo de Vega, "about 100 are still there." "Many Filipinos choose to remain in the nations where they are because they want to continue making money. When the situation is seriously affecting them personally, they only choose to leave.
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He claimed that because the terms of the ceasefire are not being observed, the situation "continues to deteriorate," citing reports from the Philippine mission in Cairo. The capital Khartoum has already deteriorated into a war zone in some areas.
All (Filipinos) in Sudan are being advised by the embassy to leave as soon as possible, De Vega said.
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On Sunday, the Philippine Embassy in Egypt issued a reminder to all Filipinos living in Sudan to leave the country right away to ensure their safety.
For those who request to be evacuated, the embassy offers two options: via the Egyptian border and via Port Sudan in the east of the country, where the evacuation process could take up to ten days.