Egyptian authorities have allocated a special train to facilitate the voluntary return of thousands of Sudanese residents on its territory, in a humanitarian step aimed at supporting refugees who have been stranded after the outbreak of war in Sudan since April 2023.
The Egyptian National Railways Authority announced the operation of train No. 1940, which departed from Cairo to Aswan yesterday, Monday, to provide a direct means of transportation for those wishing to return to their homeland through the High Dam River Port.
Authorities have confirmed that the train is equipped with all necessary services for the passengers' comfort throughout the journey, as part of ongoing efforts to alleviate the suffering of Sudanese refugees, whose numbers have significantly increased in Egypt over the past two years.
This measure comes after a crisis faced by more than 1200 Sudanese in Alexandria, when a Sudanese citizen organized a collective return trip for a nominal fee of no more than $8 per person, using 22 buses. However, the plan was disrupted due to the failure to pay the financial dues to the bus owners, leading to their suspension.
The Sudanese Embassy in Cairo intervened to rescue the situation, making direct contacts with the General Secretariat of the Sudanese Expatriates Affairs Authority, the Defense Industries System, and several businessmen who quickly responded and covered all costs, enabling the buses to resume operation and successfully complete the evacuation process.
In recent weeks, the Qastal-Ashkit crossing witnessed an unprecedented congestion, causing a complete halt in the return movement, due to the significant shortage of Nile ferries compared to the large number of Sudanese eager to return, and the lack of ground transportation means from Aswan to the border.
The Consul General of Sudan in Aswan, Abdelqader Abdullah Mohamed, stated in earlier remarks that the Egyptian authorities are making great efforts to facilitate the return of Sudanese families, noting that return operations began more than a year ago despite the ongoing war, as many families were forced to return due to financial resources depletion or family commitments in Sudan.
He explained that Egypt has facilitated legal procedures for returnees, exempting them from fines and legal responsibilities, and providing temporary accommodation in some stations until their transfer to the border, a process that continues as part of a plan to facilitate honorable and voluntary return.
Egypt has received over one and a half million Sudanese since the conflict erupted, including 546,746 officially registered refugees with the UN Refugee Agency, according to Assistant Foreign Relations Officer at the agency, Christine Beshai. The unregistered numbers are still under estimation.
The war between the army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemeti) has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians and the displacement of over 11 million people, including 3.1 million refugees who fled abroad, according to the latest data from the United Nations. Egypt remains one of the main countries hosting the largest number of these refugees, continuing to support them with extensive official and popular efforts.