in this screen grab from a video smoke rises over khartoum sudan on april 21 2023 while the administration says it is working towards evacuating american embassy staff still stranded in the country it makes no promises about other americans who could get let behind still numerous americans and afghan allies were left behind at the end of august 2021 and jeanpierre argued that that withdrawal a result of the taliban taking over the country was unique white house press secretary karine jeanpierre speaks during the daily press briefing in the james s brady briefing room at the white house in washington dc on april 21 2023 i dont think it would be wise for me to walk through all the sort of the contingency thinking that the department of defense and the state department are working through right now he said in case theyre needed but there has not been a decision made that they will be making sure that were ready for it as the violent struggle for power over sudan reaches the oneweek mark the biden administration is sticking firmly to its warning for private citizens dont expect to be rescued more dead bodies line the streets amid fighting in sudan american confirmed among fatalities a more direct comparison to the situation in sudan might be the mass evacuation of nearly 15000 us citizens from lebanon in 2006 when an ongoing conflict between israel and the militant group hezbollah unexpectedly and rapidly intensified so far at least 330 people have been reported dead and 3200 injured from the fighting between the sudanese military and rapid support forces though the true figures are likely higher according to the world health organization abcs sarah kolinovsky ayat altawy and ellie kaufman contributed to this report khartoums primary airport is closed and badly damaged and airlines have suspended travel after a jet came under fire we have not parsed our words or been ignorant or nave about the delicate and fragile security situation in sudan patel claimed more for those wondering what will trigger president biden to ultimately approve a full withdrawal of government personnel from the embassy kirby was not willing to draw a red line or describe which conditions might prompt that move and he declined to say if or when the president would approve a rescue mission for embassy staff bonnie cashupi via shutterstock principal deputy state department spokesperson vedant patel said that officials had been in touch with several hundred of the estimated 16000 us citizens in sudan concerning security measures and other precautions they can take on their own more sudan fighting persists on eid holiday despite 72hour ceasefire announcement however patel noted that the state department has listed sudan under its highestlevel travel advisory for months which warns americans not to journey to the country and advises that if they do the us government may not be able to provide help in a crisis the military continues to preposition capabilities nearby