PHL brings to safety 43 Filipinos from strife-torn Yemen

MANILA — The Philippine government has successfully evacuated to safety another batch of 43 Filipinos from conflict-stricken Yemen, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.

DFA spokesman Charles Jose said the Filipinos, the third batch of evacuees, were brought to the Yemeni-Saudi border on April 7. The group, which also included one Yemeni spouse of a Filipino, was made up of 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.

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

Since April 5, a Philippine Crisis Management Team (CMT) in Yemen, whose members include personnel from the Department of Foreign Affairs, 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, comprised of 99 evacuees, left Yemen on April 5, followed by a group of 243 individuals from the capital Sana’a on April 6.

Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said the Philippine government has provided accommodations for the evacuees in the Saudi city of Jizan, and is arranging their flights to the Philippines.

In a press briefing, Jose said the first group of 91 evacuees will leave Jizan for Manila on April 8. They will arrive on April 9 in two batches.

As evacuation becomes progressively difficult with each passing day, the DFA renewed its appeal to Filipinos remaining in Yemen to leave.

Filipinos, Jose said, were urged to immediately proceed to pick up points in Movenpick Hotel Sana’a and in Al-Sherif Hotel Hodeidah. (PNA)