MANILA — The Philippine government is seeking a secure route to evacuate Filipinos in Sudan, amid the ongoing fighting between the Sudanese army and paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum.

In a video statement, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. said “it is a long road” from the Sudanese capital of Khartoum to Cairo, Egypt, where the Philippine embassy is.

• DFA mulls raising alert in Sudan to level 3, as Pinoys who want to leave 'going up'

The Philippine embassy there has jurisdiction over Sudan, Djibouti, Eritrea and Ethiopia.

“Malaking problema natin sa Sudan… Unfortunately, none of the airports are functioning. They are still under fire. Also we cannot ascertain a secure land route for them to leave,” the President said.

“But we are already preparing for the assets that might be involved. We are just waiting to get better information as to whether or not it will be safe out of Khartoum, perhaps into Cairo,” he added.

• Paglikas ng mga Pilipino sa Sudan, inaayos na ng pamahalaan

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier in the day told ABS-CBN News it may raise the alert status in Sudan from Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 3, as the number of Filipinos who want to leave the country continues to grow.

Alert level 3 entails the voluntary repatriation of Filipinos in the country, based on the agency's guidelines.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Affairs Eduardo Jose de Vega told ABS-CBN News the Philippine embassy in Cairo, Egypt already has a set-up for every ceasefire where Filipinos can buy their food supplies at groceries "using cash allowance which we are wiring to them."

De Vega earlier said the country's embassy in Cairo, Egypt is preparing for the possible repatriation of around 80 Filipinos there, while it has been reported that an overseas Filipino worker had been injured.

There are almost 500 Filipinos in Sudan, the DFA had said.

The violence erupted last week between forces of the two generals who seized power in a 2021 coup: army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo who commands the RSF.

• Thousands flee 'bodies on the streets' in battle-scarred Khartoum

It followed a bitter dispute between them over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army — a key condition for a final deal aimed at restoring Sudan's democratic transition.

Battles have damaged residential and commercial buildings and civilians sheltering in their homes are becoming increasingly desperate, with dwindling food supplies, power outages, and a lack of running water.

— with a report from Agence France-Presse

Video from Presidential Communications Office