Headlines
Lift 'no fly zone' restriction: India urges Saudi Arabia
New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, March 29
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has urged the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) to persuade Saudi Arabia to lift the ban on flying through
its air space to help stranded Indians in Yemen fly home, said a Kerala
minister.
Minister of Diaspora K.C. Joseph told IANS that Chief
Minister Oommen Chandy was told this when he had a talk with Sushma
Swaraj.
"We are told that things have calmed down a bit and
yesterday (Saturday) the airport was opened for a few hours. A flight
carrying 90 Indians, including 15 Kerala nurses, has departed from
there. The Kerala nurses will arrive from Doha tomorrow (Monday) morning
at Kochi airport," said Joseph.
"We are in touch with the
Indian Embassy officials in Yemen and they have said that every day the
airport will be kept open for a few hours. In order to make use of that,
we have to get permission from Saudi Arabia to use their air space for
which India has got in touch with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to
prevail upon Saudi Arabia. Once we get that permission, India will send
aircraft to evacuate our people," added Joseph.
There are no
exact figures of the number of Indians, including Keralites, who are
waiting to fly out from troubled Yemen. Both the Kerala and central
governments are in touch with the Indian Embassy and have asked them to
ensure that if people are able to produce any document to show that they
are Indians, they should be given an exit permit from Yemen.