PH government brings 44 to safety in 3rd land evacuation from Yemen

The Philippine Government continues its land evacuation operation in Yemen with the third batch of evacuees, composed of 43 Filipinos and 1 Yemeni spouse of a Filipino national, crossing the Yemeni-Saudi border to reach Tuwal on the Saudi side yesterday, April 7. This batch consists of 31 adult males, 11 adult females, and two minor children.

The evacuees originated from the Yemeni cities of Hodeidah, Taiz, Aden, and Hajjah. Hodeidah served as the convergence point.

Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Yemen Ezzedin Tago meets Filipinos in Aden during his visit to Aden on March 22-24, 2015. Fourteen 14 Filipinos from Aden have been evacuated as of April 7, 2015.Filipino evacuees arrive at the hotel in Jizan on April 7 after a land trip from Yemen

The evacuees left Hodeidah in one bus and were led by Philippine Embassy Attaché Mel Balladolid and Philippine Honorary Consul Mohamad Al-Jamal.

The Crisis Management Team (CMT) in Yemen, whose members include personnel from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, has successfully organized three land evacuations of Filipinos and Yemeni spouses. The first group, made up of 99 evacuees, left Yemen on April 05, followed by a group of 243 individuals from the capital Sana’a on April 6.

The Philippine Government has provided accommodations for the evacuees in the Saudi city of Jizan, and is arranging their flights to the Philippines.

The Philippine Embassy has arranged for the first group of 90 evacuees to leave Jizan for Manila on April 8.

As evacuation becomes progressively difficult with each passing day, the DFA renews its appeal to Filipinos remaining in Yemen to immediately register with the CMT in Movenpick Hotel Sana’a and in Al-Sherif Hotel Hodeidah.