In nearly a fortnight, India’s Operation Kaveri brought back stranded citizens from conflict-ridden Sudan, informed the Indian government on May 5 as it wrapped up the evacuation programme.
The Indian Air Force C130 flight brought the final batch of 47 passengers home. The highly laborious and dangerous operation rescued 3,862 people from Sudan, informed External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Twitter. He also appreciated the countries that helped India evacuate its citizens safely.
“From Jeddah, airforce and commercial flights have brought people home. We are grateful to Saudi Arabia for hosting them and facilitating this process. Also appreciate the support of Chad, Egypt, France, South Sudan, UAE, UK, USA and UN,” he added.
The Indian Air Force chauffeured 17 flights from Sudan, while five Indian Navy ships were involved in the operation. The evacuation programme – named after the South India river – was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 24. To facilitate the evacuation of passengers smoothly, New Delhi set up separate control rooms in Jeddah and Port Sudan, while the Indian embassy in Khartoum remained in close contact with the Ministry of External Affairs.
