A week after the Biden administration decided to evacuate the Embassy in Sudan, civilians finally got their turn. A second convoy arrived from Khartoum, the capital, to the coastal city of Port Sudan on Sunday. From there, the civilians will be taken to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Hundreds of Americans have already left the war-torn country by land, air and sea, according to the State Department. A couple of weeks ago, it was estimated that there were about 16,000 Americans in Sudan. Many of them have dual Sudanese and U.S. citizenship.
An update on our evacuation efforts in Sudan: A second USG-organized convoy arrived in Port Sudan today. We are assisting U.S. citizens and others who are eligible with onward travel to Jeddah, where additional personnel are ready to assist with consular & emergency services.
— Matthew Miller (@StateDeptSpox) April 30, 2023
A week of uncertainty
The Army evacuated embassy personnel by helicopter on Sunday, April 23. In celebrating the success of the operation, Joe Biden pledged that he would continue working to "assist Americans in Sudan, to the extent possible." His administration did not announce a plan to evacuate Americans on Sudanese soil. A few days earlier the government mentioned that it was not contemplating such a measure.
Under Secretary for Management and Resources at the State Department John Bass also advised Americans stranded in Sudan to avoid attempting to escape by sea. Bass said that getting to Port Sudan was difficult due to the lack of resources such as fuel.
Until the announcement that the U.S. would send convoys out of the African country, all assistance given was by phone or virtual help. The State Department even published information on possible border crossings for those who decided to leave the country on their own.
