Cancel travel to Iraq; prepare in case of mandatory evacuation

The DFA also called on all Filipinos to “cancel, until further notice, any travel to Iraq in view of the current situation in the country.” (Pixabay Photo)

MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday called on Filipinos to cancel travel to Iraq and to “coordinate closely” with the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad in case of a mandatory evacuation.

“Filipinos in Iraq are strongly advised to coordinate closely with the Philippine Embassy and their employers in the event mandatory evacuation will be necessary,” the department said in a statement sent through DFA Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez.

The DFA also called on all Filipinos to “cancel, until further notice, any travel to Iraq in view of the current situation in the country.”

The advisory came after the death of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, leader of Iran’s elite Quds force, due to an airstrike at the Baghdad International Airport.

Meñez said the situation in Iraq is being closely monitored and the DFA is “prepared to send a rapid response team should it be deemed necessary.”

Meanwhile, the department asked all Filipinos in Iraq to immediately contact the embassy in case of emergency at (+964) 781-606-6822, (+964) 751-616-7838, and (+964) 751-876-4665; via email at baghdad.pe@dfa.gov.ph; and/or via facebook page: Philippine Embassy in Iraq.

Due to heightened tensions in Iraq and the region, the US earlier urged all Americans to “depart Iraq immediately” and avoid its embassy in the country.

On Friday night, the United Nations called for restraint, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres saying the world “cannot afford” another war in the Gulf.

“The Secretary-General has consistently advocated for de-escalation in the Gulf. He is deeply concerned with the recent escalation. This is a moment in which leaders must exercise maximum restraint. The world cannot afford another war in the Gulf,” Guterres’ deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said in a statement.