Headlines
India considering sending two ships to evacuate Indians in Yemen
New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, March 26
With
the situation in Yemen slipping more into uncertainty, India on Thursday
said it was assessing the evolving situation in the Arab country and
considering sending two ships to evacuate Indian nationals.
External
Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held a detailed telephonic conversation
with the Indian envoy in Sana'a, Amrit Lugun, on the evolving situation
in Yemen, said official sources.
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen
Chandy, in a press release issued on Thursday night, said Sushma Swaraj
informed him about sending two ships which will evacuate Indians now
waiting to return from Yemen.
"Since the airports in Yemen are
closed, the Indians there will be taken by ship to the nearby country,
Djibouti. From there, they will be airlifted to India. Those who are
unable to board the ship will be brought by road to Saudi Arabia and
from there they will fly back to the country," Chandy quoted Sushma
Swaraj as telling him.
He said he has received calls from
Keralites stranded in Yemen and has spoken to the Indian ambassador to
ensure that all Keralite nurses who are waiting to return be handed over
their passports and certificates.
Even though there are no
official figures on the exact number of people from Kerala in Yemen,
unofficial estimates say there are around 3,000 people from the state.
Anil
Wadhwa, secretary (East) in the external affairs ministry, convened an
inter-ministerial meeting of representatives of the ministries of
defence, home, overseas Indian affairs, and shipping as well Naval
headquarters, Air Force and Air India to examine the various options
available to assist Indian nationals in the current situation.
The
external affairs ministry has established a 24-hour control room in
Delhi to monitor the situation and provide information about the
security situation.
The telephone numbers are: 91 11 2301 2113, +91 11 2301 4104, +91 11 2301 790.
The fax number is: +91 11 2301 8158
The email is: [email protected]
India's
moves came as Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes against the Shia Houthi
rebels in Yemen early on Thursday, a day after the US-backed Yemeni
President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi fled the country.
Saudi
Arabia's warplanes raided military camps of the Shia Houthi group in
Yemen's capital Sana'a on Thursday, killing at least 25 civilians and
wounding 50 others, as Riyadh led a joint Gulf Arab nations' operation
in the crisis-hit country.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar said on Thursday they have decided
to act to protect Yemen against "aggression" by the Houthi militia,
according to a joint statement.