ALBAWABA- The Pentagon is sending troops to Djibouti to prepare for a potential evacuation of US embassy staff and 19,000 American citizens from Sudan.
Sudan has been plagued by fighting between two warring generals, leading to worsening conditions in the capital, Khartoum.
It remains unclear who is in control of the country as of Thursday.
The death toll from the fighting has risen to 330, with nearly 3,200 others wounded, according to the World Health Organization.
U.N. Secretary General António Guterres has called for a three-day ceasefire to commemorate the Muslim holiday of Eid el-Fitr to allow civilians to escape and seek medical treatment, food, and other essentials.
However, ceasefires declared so far have not held for very long. There have been reports of gunmen breaking into homes and attacking civilians, including a European ambassador.
Khartoum’s international airport has been the target of heavy shelling, leaving destroyed planes littering the tarmac, and it is closed to all air traffic.
The U.S. State Department is working with the Pentagon on how best to evacuate both the American embassy and the estimated 19,000 American citizens in Sudan. The department previously said it had no plans for a government-coordinated evacuation, and had urged Americans to shelter in place.
Japan was the first country to announce a planned evacuation of its citizens, but has not yet been successful in carrying out evacuations.
Between 10,000 and 20,000 people have fled the conflict and crossed into Chad, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.
