The national defence minister says flights will resume to get Canadians safely out of Sudan as soon as possible.
“The situation remains very volatile and dangerous on the ground,” Anita Anand said during a media update held in Dartmouth, N.S., on Friday morning.
Two planes were set to leave in the morning but were delayed amid a volatile situation on the ground.
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Every day Rafeeda Khashmelmous anxiously checks her phone for updates on her loved ones in Sudan amid the conflict.
She’s glad to see support from the federal government to move Sudanese Canadians to safety by plane.
Khashmelmous says any help is appreciated.
“The privileged or those who have dual citizenship can get evacuated,” she says. “But the majority of Sudanese people are fending for themselves and trying to find safe routes into foreign countries.”
Her relatives, however, are staying put.
Khashmelmous and her immediate family moved to Nova Scotia in 2002, but she says the majority of her loved ones still live in Sudan.
She says the basic necessities are what’s needed for those who remain in the war-torn country.
“There isn’t much aid coming into the country,” she says. “The food supply is extremely short. One of my cousins was telling me one of the water facilities nearby was bombed.”
Khashmelmous says it’s especially hard to not have access to a stable supply of food and water so soon after fasting for Ramadan.
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During Anand’s update on the evacuation efforts, she said two flights were delayed on Friday morning amid security concerns. One flight had a mechanical issue that has since been resolved.
Anand says safety is the priority after a Turkish evacuation flight came under fire.
“Ensuring that we have host nation consent, ensuring the airport is acceptable for flights to take off,” she says. “The terrain at the airport is very rough. It requires a continual assessment.”
She says contingency plans are in place for evacuations if there are other issues such as mechanical problems.
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“We are examining all options,” Anand says. “This is very serious planning that we’re undertaking. For operational security reasons, I cannot go into detail about the different options we’re considering.”
About 250 Canadians have been evacuated so far.
Khashmelmous says for those who stay behind, the most significant battle will be ensuring their basic needs are met.
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