MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has yet to find a safe way out for Filipinos trapped in war-torn Sudan, said President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Saturday.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), at least 86 Filipinos are estimated to have reached out to the Philippine Embassy in Cairo, Egypt for assistance when deadly military skirmishes erupted in Sudan.
READ: DFA: 86 Filipinos in Sudan asked for rescue, repatriation amid deadly clashes
“We have about 300 people in Sudan. Unfortunately, none of the airports [are] functioning. They are still under fire. Also, we cannot ascertain a secure route for them to leave,” said Marcos.
The DFA previously said that it is considering bringing the Filipinos to Cairo, Egypt through land transportation by next week. However, this is not set in stone.
READ: DFA hopes to begin repatriation of Filipinos in Sudan next week
Marcos confirmed these strategies, adding that the administration is holding off until more is known about the situation in Sudan.
“It is a long road from Khartoum to Cairo, which is where our embassy is, that is in charge also of Khartoum and Sudan. But we are already preparing the assets that might be involved, we are just waiting to get better information as to whether or not it will be safe to bring our evacuees out of Khartoum, perhaps into Cairo,” he said.
Two rival military factions in Sudan started vying for power, sparking violence and threatening to plunge the country into civil war. It was reported that only one Filipino was harmed during the conflict.