Red Cross says 796 Kenyans airlifted from South Sudan
Some of the Kenyans who were evacuated from South Sudan on July 16, 2016 pictured arriving in the country at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- On Saturday, three chartered flights brought in 296 individuals followed by another group of 200 ferried on two flights on Sunday.
- Two flights brought in 200 Kenyans on Monday while another government chartered plane airlifted 100 more on Tuesday.
Kenya Red Cross says the government has evacuated 796 Kenyans from the troubled South Sudan, a process that has no ended.
A statement sent to newsrooms last evening indicated that the Kenyans were brought in the country in eight planeloads since Saturday when the operation began.
On Saturday, three chartered flights brought in 296 individuals followed by another group of 200 ferried on two flights on Sunday.
On Monday, two other flights brought in 200 Kenyans while another government chartered plane airlifted 100 more on Tuesday.
Kenya Red Cross has been receiving returnees since Saturday at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Some of the 100 Kenyans who were airlifted from war-torn South Sudan by the Foreign Affairs ministry at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on July 16, 2016. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
The airport also said it has assisted in making calls to 113 family members through a tracing desk, a hotline number +254 715 820 219.
“The Emergency Medical Ambulance (E-Plus) of the KRCS handled a total of 37 patients, of whom 3 were ferried to the Kenyatta National Hospital for further medical attention,” KRCS said.
KRCS has been working in collaboration with the National Disaster Operation Centre, the government line ministries, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Devolution and Planning, State Department of Special Programmes.
The decision to evacuate Kenyans followed eruption of fresh violence in South Sudan after guards protecting President Salva Kiir clashed with those guarding his First Vice President Riek Machar.
About 300 people were killed in the incident, but the Foreign ministry says no Kenyan died in the violence.
On Friday, the government issued a travel advisory with Foreign Principal Secretary Monica Juma advising against all but essential travel to Juba “due to the fluid nature of the security situation and the assessed level of risk.”
She also urged those Kenyans in need to register with the Kenyan Embassy in Juba for assistance.
