10 Nepalis rescued from Yemen

KATHMANDU, Apr 3: Ten Nepali migrant workers stranded in Yemen have been repatriated with help from the Indian Embassy, while nine others are in the process, Nepal’s mission in Saudi Arabia has said.

Nepal had requested the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, India’s embassies in Saudi Arabia and Yemen for support after migrant workers caught in the war zone appealed for help. Nepal does not have its embassy in Yemen.

Udaya Raj Pandey, Nepal’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said 19 Nepalis have come in contact of the embassy so far and the number is likely to grow. He said 10 Nepalis stranded in Aden and Hyundai had been ferried by an Indian ship to Djibouti from where they will take a flight to Nepal.

“We have traced the names, addresses and passport numbers of 19 Nepali nationals so far while the search for others is on. We are in contact with the Indian embassies in Riyadh and Sana’a to facilitate the rescue and repatriation of the remaining Nepalis stranded there,” Pandey told the Post on the phone.

Violence in Yemeni cities of Aden and Hyundai have escalated in recent weeks following the attempt of Houthi rebels to seize the key government stronghold. The Saudi-led coalition has been using airstrikes to crush Houthi rebels, supported by troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Though only one Nepali has got permit to work in Yemen, the number of Nepali migrants could be in hundreds there as many have reached cities like Sana’a for work through undocumented channels.