The Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) Board of Trustees has decided to actively participate in the evacuation and resettlement of the thousands of Nigerians who are trapped in Sudan.
The management of Air Peace and the Federal Government have been contacted by Zouera Youssoufou, the managing director and chief executive officer of the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), to let them know the foundation is prepared to assist the stranded Nigerians.
“The Foundation will work with the Federal Government and Air Peace to ensure seamless transportation of the stranded Nigerians,” she added. “More importantly, however, we will provide logistics and assistance to the evacuees to make their transition back to Nigeria more comfortable.”
The Foundation MD continued, “…indicating our interest in collaborating with them to ensure that all Nigerians stranded in Sudan are brought back home safely.” ADF understands the difficulties facing the Federal Government and Air Peace involved in this mission and has contacted relevant Federal Government agencies, involved in humanitarian disaster relief intervention.
On their return to Nigeria in 2015, the Nigerian government received logistical support from the Aliko Dangote Foundation for the Nigerian volunteer health workers who had helped the Ebola containment operations in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
ADF also assisted Nigerians returning from India and Dubai during the recent Covid pandemic by providing specially chartered flights, Covid testing, and quarantining after they returned to Nigeria. ADF has aided thousands of IDPs in Yobe, Borno, Adamawa, and Abuja since 2011 by spending more than 25 billion naira on food, shelter, and medical care.
The first batch of 13 buses carrying 637 (637) evacuees had arrived at the designated safe borders at Aswan, Egypt, and were undergoing the necessary paperwork and clearance before admission into the Egyptian territory for their eventual evacuation to Nigeria, according to a joint press release from the federal ministries of humanitarian affairs, disaster management, and social development.
There have been frequent battles in Sudan between the military and the main paramilitary group. Numerous fatalities have been reported, and thousands of refugees from the brutal civil war are reportedly stuck at the Sudan-Egypt border due to Egypt’s visa requirements.
