Dhaka seeks IOM help for repatriation
Dhaka has officially requested the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to repatriate its nationals from war-torn Yemen.
Around 1,500-3,000 Bangladeshis remain in the conflict zone of Yemen, but most of them are in Aden which is apparently a safer place, Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque told reporters yesterday.
The government has taken effective measures to ensure they return home safe and sound, he added.
Later last night, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said on Facebook that Bangladesh would send two officials to Yemen to facilitate the repatriation process.
"We are sending two officers tomorrow from Oman to Djibouti, who will then travel to Eden [Aden], Yemen and help verify/identify Bangladeshi nationals and issue necessary travel document, if needed, to help them to be on board in a ship," he posted on his official Facebook page.
Dhaka on Monday declared its support to the Saudi Arabia-led coalition which launched air strikes against Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen on March 26 after the rebels took control of large parts of the Arab country.
Talking to newsmen after a press conference, Shahidul said Dhaka has also urged New Delhi to help repatriate Bangladeshis.
India in principle agreed to assist Bangladesh, but it depends on the availability of space in ships as the country is sending vessels to Yemen to rescue its citizens, he noted.
Meanwhile, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka in a statement on its official Twitter account yesterday said India would assist in the evacuation of Bangladeshis from Yemen.
FEAR FOR LIFE
As there is no visible rescue plan in sight, the stranded Bangladeshis are worried about their fate.
Aman Ullah, who works for a World Bank project in Sana, wrote on his Facebook wall, “We are now in a crucial situation here. We can't move from our residences due to fighting between different groups. We need emergency rescue support.”
The other countries are evacuating their nationals as the situation in Yemen is worsening by the day, he added.
Another Bangladeshi Jahirul Islam Bulbul wrote, “We can't sleep safely. Every night seems to be our last night. India, Pakistan and other embassies have already evacuated their people. But we are still suffering from insecurity.”
Two Bangladeshi engineers have been stranded in two hotels in Saana for last one week as there is no flight from the Yemeni capital to Dhaka.
SM Mahabubul Alam, counsellor at the Bangladesh embassy in Kuwait, said they put them in touch with a crisis management cell set up to organise and assist expatriates.
Foreign Secretary Shahidul further informed newsmen that Bangladesh has sought support from Saudi Arabia to rescue its nationals.
On IOM's response, he said there is a positive indication from the organisation as it received similar requests from other countries too. “We are expecting a formal response from the IOM shortly.”
The number of foreign nationals, including Bangladeshis, in Yemen is not so big because the foreigners usually work there in various projects of international bodies, he mentioned.
Yemen itself is a least developed country and its people usually go to Middle-Eastern countries for jobs, said the secretary.
“It [repatriation] gets difficult as there is no Bangladesh Embassy in Yemen. Moreover, there is no commercial flight now and thus we are not being able to send any official from our nearby missions to Yemen…. Only the sea route is operative.”
The ministry is in constant touch with the stranded Bangladeshis, he claimed. “Even many of them contacted me over the phone.”
Meanwhile, the foreign ministry has opened helplines for the Bangladeshis in Yemen. The numbers are: 00965-50570754, 00965-24913201, 00965-94934363, 00967-733856998, 00967-735800247.
According to the Indian external affairs ministry, an Indian ship is already in the region. Its Navy is pressing into service two additional ships. Also, two passenger liners, one with a capacity of 700 and another 400, have left Indian waters on Monday to repatriate Indians.
Indian Naval Ship Sumitra yesterday reached Djibouti with 350 Indian nationals, the first batch of Indians evacuated from Yemen, said the ministry.
The Indians have been evacuated from Yemen's Aden city to Djibouti. They will be brought back to India by an Indian Air Force plane Wednesday night.
India has around 4,000 nationals in Yemen.
Comments