Stray bullet, flying shrapnel hurt 2 OFWs in Sudan conflict — DMW

GAME OF THE GENERALS Black smoke rises above Khartoum International Airport on April 20, amid ongoing battles between
the forces of two rival generals—Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. —AFP

MANILA, Philippines — Two overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were hurt after being hit with a stray bullet and shrapnel in conflict-stricken Sudan, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said on Friday.

The unidentified OFWs, who have been repatriated to the country since, are now in stable condition, according to DMW Undersecretary for Foreign Employment and Welfare Service Hans Leo Cacdac.

“On the physical side, merong natamaan ng bala sa kamay, sa braso, and meron isa na may shrapnel — pero hindi naman malalim — yung shrapnel dito sa kanyang ulo,” Cacdac said in an online press briefing.

(On the physical side, a stray bullet struck a Filipino, while another was hit with shrapnel — although it is not that deep — on the head.)

Cacdac said the two OFWs were given a fit to travel certificate and are currently being treated in the country.

Meanwhile, the Filipino migrant worker who sustained a gunshot wound will receive P50,000 each from the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, according to  DMW Undersecretary for Licensing and Adjudication Services Bernard Olalia.

Olalia said the gunshot survivor would also return to his province, all expenses paid by the OWWA.

“Nabigyan siya kahapon ng 50,000 financial assistance coming from the action fund of the DMW. Pag-uwi po sa probinsya niya, bibigyan siya ng karagdagang 50,000 ng OWWA, yung kanyang hotel, food and accommodation ay sagot din ng OWWA including yung transportation pabalik sa kanyang probinsya,” Olalia said.

(The worker was given P50,000 in financial assistance coming from the action fund of the DMW, while OWWA will give another P50,000. The OFW’s hotel, food, and accommodation, including the transportation, will also be shouldered by OWWA.)

To date, 74 Filipinos have been repatriated in the country, according to DMW.

However, some 146 Filipinos in Sudan “did not manifest their wish to be repatriated,” according to Cacdac.

READ: 146 Filipinos in Sudan ‘did not manifest their wish to be repatriated’ — DMW

Hostilities broke out on April 15 amid a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group.

Sudan’s Health Ministry reported on Tuesday that 550 people have died and 4,926 injured, according to a Reuters report.

JPV