The final flights for British nationals depart as the UN warns of escalating refugee numbers due to intensified fighting.

The British government has concluded its evacuation flights from Sudan, with the final departures occurring on Monday evening. The flights, which aimed to bring British nationals out of the war-torn country, ended after an announcement from the Foreign Office that citizens had until 11am UK time (midday local time) to reach Port Sudan for the last two flights.

While the Foreign Office did not immediately confirm whether the flights had left by Monday afternoon, flight tracking websites indicated that a Hercules plane departed at 6.43pm local time, followed by an Airbus Atlas aircraft scheduled for 10.10pm.

The British evacuation efforts, which have brought 2,197 people to safety via over 20 flights operated by the RAF, have faced criticism. Many citizens reported a lack of communication from the embassy, with some claiming they were not given contact information to register with the Foreign Office until days after they were stranded.

The UK government also extended its evacuation criteria to include eligible non-British nationals, such as NHS doctors. However, the flights will now cease due to both the volatile situation on the ground and the low number of British nationals coming forward.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly praised the success of the airlift but stated that efforts would now shift to humanitarian and diplomatic actions. The Royal Navy ship HMS Lancaster will remain in Port Sudan to provide continued support.

Meanwhile, fighting between the two rival factions—the Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo—continues, despite a temporary ceasefire agreement. The UN has warned that the ongoing violence may lead to more than 800,000 people fleeing Sudan, with neighbouring countries already seeing large numbers of refugees. So far, approximately 73,000 people have crossed into neighbouring states, including South Sudan, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Central African Republic, and Libya.

UN officials have expressed deep concern over the worsening humanitarian crisis, with some calling it a “full-blown catastrophe.” The situation continues to deteriorate, with the potential for further displacement and strain on neighbouring countries’ resources.