The UN has warned of “immense suffering for years” in Sudan as the first Britons evacuated from the war zone landed back in the UK.
The UN secretary general, António Guterres warned prolonged fighting in Sudan could cause “years of immense suffering,” and that the conflict could not be resolved on the battlefield.
The comments come as more than 300 Britons have been evacuated from Sudan as the military races against time to bring people to safety before a 72-hour ceasefire ends.
The first plane landed at Stansted Airport at around 2.30pm from Lanarca, Cyprus. There were children on the flight, a Foreign Office spokesperson said.
The warring factions in Sudan agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire starting on Tuesday. The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) said the US and Saudi Arabia mediated the truce.
The UK has said it will pursue “all avenues” to help British citizens still trapped in Khartoum.
With around 4,000 UK citizens possibly stranded amid deadly street fighting and a shortage of food, water and electricity, the government is pursuing “all diplomatic avenues” in removing British nationals from Sudan, Downing Street said.
