117 passengers returned from Sudan are in quarantine for being unvaccinated

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is working in close collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs under ‘Operation Kaveri’ to evacuate about 3,000 passengers of Indian Origin from Sudan.

“Necessary quarantine facilities are being arranged at transit junctures in mission mode for incoming passengers. A total 1,191 passengers have arrived so far, of which 117 passengers are currently quarantined because they were not vaccinated against Yellow Fever. All passengers will be released after 7 days if they remain asymptomatic.

“These passengers are provided rent-free accommodation with free food facility in quarantine centers managed by Airport Health Officers (APHO)s, and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at various hospitals across states holding a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as well as central government hospitals in Delhi such as Safdarjung Hospital. Arrangements have also been made at RHTC, Najafgarh (100 beds); NITR, Mehrauli (40 beds) and Lady Hardinge Medical College (60 beds),” said the health ministry statement.

The first batch of passengers arrived in Delhi with 360 passengers, none of whom required quarantine followed by second flight which arrived in Mumbai with 240 passengers on 26 April of which 14 were quarantined. Two were released after validation of their vaccination certificates.

‘Operation Kaveri’ is a rescue operation launched by Government of India to evacuate Indian citizens who are stranded in Sudan. It was launched on April 24 in response to the crisis in Sudan.

A team of officials including the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Air Force, and the Indian embassy in Sudan has been appointed by the Indians to ensure the proper process of evacuation gets followed. During the evacuation, Indians will be transferred from Sudan to the capital city of Khartoum where they will be flown back to India.