Ople off to Egypt to help OFWs crossing over from Sudan
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is sending its migrant workers secretary to Egypt to help give assistance to Filipinos crossing the border from Sudan to escape violence there.
While the Department of Foreign Affairs is taking the lead on facilitating fleeing Filipinos’ entry into neighboring Egypt, Migrant Workers Secretary Susan "Toots" Ople will be setting up welfare assistance stations at border points to help displaced workers upon arrival.
"I will be leaving tonight with Undersectrary Hans Cacdac to oversee the welfare operations of the department in making sure that those who were able to cross the border would be given financial assistance upon crossing," Ople said in a press briefing streamed online.
She added that that women and children are among those who fled fighting in Sudan "so we want to make sure that there are proper facilities (for them)."
A US-brokered 72-hour ceasefire between Sudan's warring generals officially came into effect Tuesday after 10 days of urban combat killed hundreds, wounded thousands and sparked a mass exodus of foreigners.
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to the ceasefire "following intense negotiations", Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement shortly before the truce took effect at midnight (2200 GMT Monday).
Financial aid, job placement
Each displaced Filipino will receive financial aid of $200. The Department of Migrant Workers is also setting up job assistance to give displaced workers an option to go home and work in the Philippines or try for temporary jobs in Saudi Arabia.
Ople said assistance will be given to all Filipinos, even those who may not have proper work documents.
The first batch of 50 OFWs were already on their way to Aswan, Egypt as of Monday night. They will then be flown back to the Philippines on commercial flights from Cairo.
At least 725 Filipinos based in Sudan have reached out to the embassy in Cairo and 327 of them have requested repatriation.
The Philippines has reached out to international partners, such as the International Organization for Migration, to make sure FIlipinos are safe from the conflict in Sudan.
Three evacuation points
Ople said the government is looking at three evacuation points for Filipinos:
- Through Egypt, Filipinos will travel by land from Khartoum and exit to Egypt via Aswan. A commercial flight back home will be set up in Cairo.
- Through Saudi Arabia, where Filipinos would exit Sudan by travelling by land to Port Sudan and then hopping on a ship to Jeddah.
- Through Djibouti, by air through working with the United States government.
"It’s really bringing them to safety from Khartoum that’s difficult," Ople said.
"So right now, we want to take advantage of the ceasefire [that was declared] to bring them to safety." — with a report from Agence France-Presse
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