Four hundred sixty four Filipinos have so far been evacuated to safety from the troubled country of Yemen. Of this number, 240 have been successfully repatriated to the Philippines, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported over the weekend.
The most recent was the 150 Philippine nationals who returned in Manila in two batches. They were the latest group extracted by the Crisis Management Team (CMT) out of Yemen and brought to Saudi Arabia where they took their return flights to their homeland.
No less than Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario welcomed the repatriates at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
The DFA said that during the arrival briefing for the repatriates, Secretary Del Rosario discussed the volatile security situation in Yemen and expressed his appreciation for the repatriates’ quick decision to return to the Philippines.
He also reassured them that the Philippine government will prioritize the provision of employment, placement and livelihood assistance through the Department of Labor and Employment.
In addition, the CMT is currently arranging the return flights of the remaining 224 Filipinos to Manila.
The DFA vowed that, in coordination with other agencies, it will continue to exhaust all efforts to repatriate those who are still in Yemen.
Manila Bulletin
