Third and last batch of Sudan evacuees arrive in Beirut

On Wednesday, thousands of civilians fled from Sudan to Saudi Arabia, including Lebanese nationals.

Whether they had spent only a short time in Sudan or built lives there over many years, they all voiced concern for what would become of friends, family and colleagues who remain in the country.

Conditions are harsh, amid urban combat and acute shortages of food, water, fuel and medicine.

Twenty Lebanese and 12 Palestinians arrived in Lebanon overnight, and a last batch of 18 arrived later on Wednesday.

Bilal al-Ayoubi, a 37-year-old Lebanese national, had only been in Sudan for a short time before he had to flee. He said he felt "very close to it".

"Its people are very kind and don't deserve what's happening to them," he said.

- Sleepless journey -

The fighting in Sudan pits forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against those backing his deputy turned rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

At least 459 people have been killed and more than 4,000 wounded, according to U.N. agencies.

Evacuees began arriving in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, with boats that reached Jeddah carrying 150 people including foreign diplomats and officials.

On Monday, a C-130 Hercules military plane flew dozens of South Korean civilians to Jeddah's King Abdullah Air Base, and a boat ferried nearly 200 people from 14 countries across the Red Sea from Port Sudan.

Wednesday's operation was by far the largest to date, and some passengers were crammed into stairwells for the 10-hour sea voyage.

After what many described as a sleepless night, the haggard-looking group was called country by country to retrieve their bags and go ashore, where they were greeted by Saudi soldiers who handed them plastic-wrapped pink and red roses.

The passengers included a number of Syrian nationals who told AFP they had fled to Sudan after civil war erupted in their country in 2011, and who described a sense of shock that they were fleeing conflict yet again.

"We left our country because of the war and we reached another country which is also facing war. This experience, which we have lived twice, is very difficult," said 35-year-old Batool.

As she spoke, her 17-year-old son Adham broke down crying.

"I left behind me so many dreams," he said, but was unable to speak further.