World Biz
Nations that are evacuating citizens from Sudan
As continued fighting raises fears that Sudan could plunge deeper into chaos, foreign governments are scrambling to get their diplomats and other citizens safely out.
Most nations deployed military transport aircraft to fly people out, including France which used its airbase in neighboring Djibouti for the airlift. But not all is going smoothly — about 2,000 British nationals remain in Sudan, and many complain that their government isn’t giving them enough information about evacuation plans.
Although some flights included people of various nationalities, here’s a country-by-country accounting of evacuation efforts based on information available so far:
UNITED STATES:
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday that Washington has begun facilitating the overland departure of private U.S. citizens who want to leave Sudan with the use of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets. Earlier, the U.S. government told some 16,000 US citizens in Sudan that they need to fend for themselves and that there won’t be mass evacuations.
UNITED KINGDOM:
Some 1,200 British soldiers who were part of a military operation out of a key British air base on the east Mediterranean island of Cyprus helped evacuate around 30 U.K. diplomatic staff and their families out of Sudan. Arrangements are being made to fly the evacuees back home from Cyprus. Britain’s Africa Minister, Andrew Mitchell, said about 2,000 U.K. citizens still in Sudan have registered with the embassy and that “intense planning” was underway for a “series of possible evacuations.”
FRANCE:
Officials say France has evacuated 491 people, including citizens from 36 countries, on flights to Djibouti in the nearby Horn of Africa. They include 23 Sudanese citizens who were family members or had other links to foreigners being evacuated and 38 citizens of Niger. Another 36 were Irish citizens and nine were Americans. Others included three wounded individuals, the German ambassador and several other foreign ambassadors.
GERMANY:
Four German military transport planes flew more than 400 people from Sudan to Jordan from where they’ll head to their home countries. German Foreign Minister Minister Annalena Baerbock said her country had evacuated citizens of 20 countries in addition to its own, and would try to continue doing so, even if the end of the ceasefire Monday could complicate the situation. The Austrian government said 27 people were Austrian citizens.
CANADA:
Canada’s foreign minister, Melanie Joly, says Ottawa is working with “like-minded countries″ to help at least 1,600 citizens formally registered in Sudan flee the country. Canada suspended consular services in Sudan on Sunday, saying Canadian diplomats would “temporarily work from a safe location outside the country.″
ITALY:
Italian Air Force C-130 transport aircraft airlifted some 200 people out of Khartoum airport Sunday evening and flew them to Djibouti. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said they included 140 Italians, some Swiss, other Europeans and personnel from the Vatican’s embassy in Khartoum.
SPAIN:
Spain said it had evacuated approximately 172 people from the Sudanese capital to Djibouti so far, including 34 Spanish nationals and citizens of Argentina, Colombia, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Portugal and Poland.
SWEDEN & DENMARK:
Sweden says 25 of its embassy staff and their families were among the 388 people that French aircraft airlifted to Djibouti. Denmark said 15 of its citizens were among the group.
SWITZERLAND:
Switzerland’s Foreign Ministry says French forces have evacuated 12 Swiss nationals to Djibouti and Egypt.
FINLAND:
Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto tweeted that 10 Finns, including children, had been evacuated from Khartoum. He said efforts were underway to evacuate others still in the Sudanese capital.
NORWAY:
Norway’s Ambassador to Sudan Endre Stiansen has tweeted that he and two colleagues are “in a safe place” outside Sudan.
POLAND:
Poland’s Foreign Ministry said 11 Poles – including the ambassador to Sudan, diplomatic staff and private citizens — have been evacuated as part of French and Spanish efforts.
NETHERLANDS:
A pair of Dutch air force C-130 Hercules have flown from Sudan to Jordan Monday carrying an undisclosed number of Dutch and other evacuees. Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said in a tweet more flights were planned “in close cooperation with partners.”
BULGARIA:
Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry says 21 Bulgarian nationals have been evacuated by land to Egypt or by air to Europe.
TURKEY:
The Turkish government says it’s evacuating “hundreds” of its citizens by land to Ethiopia, from where they are scheduled to be flown to Istanbul.
GREECE:
Greece’s Foreign Ministry says 15 Greek nationals and their family members have been evacuated to Djibouti with the help of Italy.
JAPAN:
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says eight Japanese, including embassy officials and their family, were airlifted from an air base in northern Khartoum by the French military. Japanese defense troops had already evacuated 45 others to nearby Djibouti.
SOUTH AFRICA:
The South African government says at least 77 South African nationals, including embassy staff, are on on their way out of the Sudanese capital.
KENYA:
Kenya’s Foreign Ministry says 29 Kenyan students have crossed into Ethiopia and are in route to Nairobi, while the air force has a transport plane ready to fly out 18 students now on the road to the South Sudan border. Another two aircraft are expected to ferry 300-400 Kenyans to Jeddah.
PALESTINIANS:
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates says some 72 Palestinians have relocated to Port Sudan, while vehicle convoys are carrying about 200 Palestinians to Egypt.
SOUTH KOREA:
South Korea says a bus transporting at least 28 of its nationals, including embassy staff, has entered Port Sudan’s international airport where a South Korean military aircraft awaits to fly them to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
JORDAN:
Some 343 Jordanian nationals evacuated from Port Sudan arrived at Amman military airport aboard four transport aircraft.
EGYPT:
Egypt’s state-run MENA news agency says the country is urging the more than 10,000 Egyptian citizens in Sudan to head to Port Sudan and Wadi Halfa in the north for evacuation. Buses carrying an undisclosed number of Egyptian citizens crossed into Egypt from the Arqin border crossing on Monday.
China Correspondent: More than 200 youth leaders and representatives from 25 countries gathered in Jiangxi Province, China from September 21 to 25, 2026, for the Dialogue between Youth Leaders from Jiangxi and International Friendship Partners at Different Levels, which aimed to deepen cross-border cooperation and strengthen people-to-people ties among young leaders worldwide.
Held under the theme “Energy of Youth for a Better World,” the five-day program focused on green development, economic and trade collaboration, vocational education, and youth development. It featured thematic dialogues, industrial visits, project matchmaking sessions, and cultural experiences to provide a platform for global youth to exchange insights, share resources, and advance collaborative projects.
The event was hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and jointly organized by the Jiangxi Provincial Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development, the Jiangxi Provincial Youth Federation, the Jiangxi Branch of the China Vocational Education Association, and the Jiangxi Provincial Federation of Industry and Commerce.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Xia Wenyong, Vice Governor of Jiangxi Province, welcomed Chinese and foreign guests and outlined the province’s recent development. He described people-to-people friendship, sister-city exchanges, and youth exchanges as the enduring driving forces behind Jiangxi’s opening up to the outside world. Xia said international partners should leverage their channel advantages to align with Jiangxi’s industrial chain, sister cities should maintain regular communication and broaden cooperation, and youth leaders should act as ambassadors of friendship, deepen mutual learning, and inject lasting youthful energy into long-term cooperation.
Sun Xueqing, Vice President of the CPAFFC, noted that people-to-people diplomacy, as a foundational effort for enhancing friendship among peoples and promoting state-to-state relations, now holds greater importance and offers a broader stage for action. He encouraged representatives of international partners and young leaders to use their advantages in resources, technology, channels, and platforms to deepen practical cooperation and build a new landscape of mutually beneficial development. He also called on them to serve as youthful ambassadors for the spread of civilization, foster mutual learning with a broad vision and inclusive mindset, and actively align with international cooperation resources and sister-city exchange platforms to generate new momentum for openness and innovation.
Also delivering remarks at the ceremony were Anoop Ranjan Bhattarai, Chairman of the Nepal-China Executives Council, and Lopez, Second Deputy Mayor of Alcorcón, Spain.
During the opening ceremony, Ji’an City in Jiangxi Province and Alcorcón in Spain signed a cooperation agreement, as did the Jiangxi Provincial People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Cambodia-ASEAN Investors Association, reinforcing the event’s cooperation focus.
Among the invited participants were two Bangladeshi representatives: Mohammad Tawhidur Rahman, Chief Executive of Lilliput Essentials Company, and Dr Mohammad Saiyedul Islam, a Senior Lecturer and Researcher at the School of Overseas Education (School of Foreign Languages) at Sanming University.
Mohammad Tawhidur Rahman addressed the sub-topic “Youth Perspectives: Embracing Inclusive Collaboration for Win-Win Development.” At the same time, Dr Mohammad Saiyedul Islam spoke on “The Similarities and Differences in the Growth and Development of Chinese and Bangladeshi Youth: Reflections from My Experience” during the International Symposium on Youth Development and the 9th Forum on the Communist Youth League and Youth Development.
Beyond the conference halls, participants traveled to Ji’an and Fuzhou to gain firsthand insight into Jiangxi’s economic and social development and to explore cooperation opportunities in trade, culture, and tourism. Their itinerary included visits to the Zixi County Two Mountains Transformation Center, Dajue Mountain, Lingzhi Town, Wenchangli Historical and Cultural Park, and Jiangxi Weijia Bamboo Culture Technology Co., Ltd.
The dialogue brought together young leaders from international partners and sister cities across 25 countries, including Bangladesh, Nepal, Cambodia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Laos, Thailand, Japan, Pakistan, Spain, Russia, Italy, Bulgaria, Ireland, France, Portugal, Zambia, Algeria, Nigeria, Botswana, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji, as well as representatives from the Macao region and youth delegates from Jiangxi.
Together, they discussed cooperation and friendship in the economy, trade, education, and culture, underscoring the dialogue’s focus on practical collaboration.
The 2025 UN Tourism/PATA Forum on Tourism Trends and Outlook, held from September 18-20, concluded in Guilin, China, bringing together leading figures from over 20 countries to address the industry’s most pressing challenges. Jointly hosted by the UN World Tourism Organisation (UN Tourism) and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the three-day event centered on building a more resilient, sustainable, and “smart” tourism sector.
- Tourism Governance: Led by UN Tourism, this session featured policy insights and international cooperation models from countries including Slovenia, Indonesia, and Brazil.
- Tourism Resilience in the Asia-Pacific: Organized by PATA, this discussion included practical case studies from Nepal and Spain, providing real-world examples of how destinations are adapting to challenges.
- Tourism Talent Development: Hosted by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, this pillar focused on cultivating a skilled workforce to meet the evolving demands of the industry.
A dedicated Guilin Session also explored innovations in the meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) sector, with contributions from Greece, South Korea, and China.
A major highlight of the forum was the global launch of UN Tourism’s latest World Tourism Barometer, which provided updated data on international travel flows and economic impacts. Keynote speeches from industry giants like TUI Group offered a deep dive into European tourism markets, while Alipay’s Fliggy showcased new models in digital tourism. These presentations were followed by panels on the future of smart tourism destinations and new methods for tourism economic measurement.
The forum’s opening ceremony on September 19 featured addresses from Liu Shijun of UN Tourism and the President of PATA, along with local leaders. Their insights, combined with valuable case studies from delegates and experts from countries like the Maldives and institutions such as South Korea’s Youngsan University, laid the groundwork for the “Guilin Solutions”—a set of recommendations designed to advance sustainable and intelligent tourism worldwide.
Beyond the formal sessions, delegates were given a first-hand look at Guilin’s efforts to become a world-class tourism destination. Visits to local cultural and tourism landmarks demonstrated how the city is integrating culture, technology, and sustainability into its tourism strategy. The forum not only reinforced Guilin’s position as a hub for international dialogue but also offered concrete steps for building a more resilient and innovative global tourism industry.
US President Joe Biden has expressed his nation’s full backing for Bangladesh and the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus during a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. This marks the first time in Bangladesh’s history that a US president has met with the country’s head of government at a UNGA session, as confirmed by a statement from the Chief Adviser’s Office.
In this unprecedented encounter, Chief Adviser Prof Yunus briefed President Biden on the significant sacrifices made by students who fought against the previous government, leading to the opportunity to rebuild the country. Prof Yunus underscored the importance of succeeding in this national rebuilding effort, calling for US cooperation in the process.
President Biden praised the students’ dedication, stating that their sacrifice calls for further commitment from all, including the US. During the meeting, Prof Yunus presented Biden with a copy of The Art of Triumph, a book featuring wall paintings by students and young revolutionaries.
Prof Yunus, on his first visit to the US as head of Bangladesh’s government, is attending the 79th UNGA, which runs from September 19 to 30. The theme of this year’s debate is “Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for present and future generations.”
Rare Diplomatic Meeting Signals Strengthened US-Bangladesh Ties
Speaking on the significance of the meeting, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam highlighted the rarity of such an engagement, noting that the US and Bangladesh already enjoy strong relations. “This meeting elevates our relationship to a new level,” Alam stated, as reported by local media.
Observers suggest that the bilateral meeting, which is uncommon for US presidents during the UNGA, signals Washington’s intention to support Bangladesh through its transitional period. Dhaka is hopeful that the encounter will lead to a new strategic partnership that enhances cooperation on multiple fronts.
Yunus Receives Warm Reception from Global Leaders
Earlier in the day, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus was welcomed by several world leaders at a reception hosted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Held at the North Delegate Lounge in the UN headquarters, the event served to greet the leaders participating in the 79th session of the UNGA.
During the reception, Yunus exchanged greetings with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Mauritian President Prithvirajsingh Roopun, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, among others.
Yunus Meets Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau
On the sidelines of the UNGA, Chief Adviser Yunus also met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The two leaders discussed ways to enhance Bangladesh-Canada relations, focusing on fostering freedom, institution-building, and youth development in Bangladesh.
Prime Minister Trudeau commended Prof Yunus for taking on the leadership role and reiterated Canada’s willingness to support Bangladesh in strengthening its institutions. Prof Yunus, in turn, praised Canada for its enduring friendship and requested increased visa allocations for Bangladeshi students.
The chief adviser also gifted Trudeau The Art of Triumph, further highlighting the contributions of young revolutionaries. In addition to Trudeau, Yunus is scheduled to meet with the managing director of the IMF, the Italian prime minister, and will speak at the Clinton Global Initiative and Friends of Bangladesh events.
