Jaishankar spoke about Operation Kaveri which was launched to evacuate Indian nationals from the war-torn Sudan. He said that 4075 Indian nationals were safely evacuated from Sudan when armed clashes broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Giving a suo moto statement in the Rajya Sabha on India’s foreign policy in the past few months, he said, “On 15 April 2023, an armed conflict broke out between Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In order to protect and evacuate the Indian citizens from Sudan, Operation Kaveri was launched on 24 April, 2023. Indian nationals were brought to Port Sudan from different conflict zones and then ferried to Jeddah, using Indian Air Force aircraft and Indian Naval ships.”

“During Operation Kaveri, like Operation Ganga, we not only evacuated thousands of Indians but also assisted in the evacuation of citizens from other countries who sought our assistance. At the end of the Operation, 4075 Indian nationals were safely evacuated. During such a difficult and challenging endeavour, our diplomats and our armed forces displayed exemplary courage,” he added.

Further, he pointed out the challenges faced by the Indian government. He asserted that during movements in the midst of firing, the landing of an aircraft was very challenging. “Through this massive evacuation exercise, we have proven once again that India will never leave its people behind during a crisis- be it in Ukraine last year, or in Sudan in this one,” he added.

Operations run by India to provide aid and rescue its stranded citizens

Operation Ganga was an evacuation mission carried out by the Indian government to rescue its citizens stranded in Ukraine when the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv started on February 24, 2022. Similarly, this year, the Indian government launched Operation Kaveri to rescue Indian nationals from conflict-ridden Sudan.

Jaishankar further highlighted India’s Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations and said that India provided medical supplies and relief materials for the people of Myanmar affected by Cyclone Mocha. He further said India supplied the first tranche of the total 10,000 metric tons of wheat to Afghanistan through Chabahar Port. He said that India also donated 25 tons of medical aid to the people of Sudan.

Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned twice till 2 pm on Thursday amid continuous sloganeering by members of both treasury benches and the opposition. The opposition members continued to raise slogans on Manipur as well as against the government when External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made a statement on latest development’s in India’s foreign policy. They also resorted to sloganeering when the Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal spoke on the Foreign minister’s statement.