The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Friday that at least 496 Filipinos caught in the fierce fighting in Sudan have been evacuated as Manila steps up efforts to bring their citizens to safety.

Iran PressAsia: DFA spokeswoman Teresita Daza said Philippine Ambassador to Egypt Ezzedin Tago welcomed 340 Filipinos from the Sudanese capital Khartoum at Argeen border Friday morning after the Egyptian authorities cleared them for entry.

Daza said the 340 Filipinos were aboard buses leased by the Philippine government, adding that eight Filipinos from Khartoum arrived in Greece onboard a Greek military aircraft.

Daza added there are currently 58 Filipinos in Port Sudan, awaiting the ship that will bring them to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where a DFA team has already received 16 Filipinos.

On Thursday, 74 Filipino citizens were evacuated to Egypt from Sudan.

"Coordination with the governments of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Greece on the safe passage of Filipino evacuees is continuing through the respective Philippine embassies," Daza said.

Philippine Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople, who flew to Egypt, and her staff are personally attending to the needs of the Filipinos, such as food and accommodations while awaiting the trip to the Philippines.

"We are now exploring the possibility of a chartered flight for the Filipinos home," Ople told an online press conference, stressing the need to transport the Filipinos to Manila immediately.

The DFA on Wednesday night raised the alert level to 3 in Sudan. "The public is informed that alert level 3 (voluntary repatriation or evacuation) has been raised for the whole of the Sudan region due to the ongoing political situation in the country," read the DFA advisory.

The DFA said at least 740 Filipinos are in Sudan, and the majority are professionals.

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