There are 4,159 Indonesian citizens in Yemen, of them 1,488 are migrant workers and the remaining are students.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Foreign Affairs Ministry has issued a travel warning for Indonesians planning to visit Yemen, considering the worsening security situation in that country.
"We call for all Indonesian citizens who plan to go to Yemen to postpone their travel," spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Arrmanatha Nasir stated at a press briefing here on Wednesday.
The tense political situation in Yemen has escalated after the Yemeni president and prime minister resigned on January 22 and rebel leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi took over as the new leader of the country.
Although 12 embassies have closed in Yemen, Nasir noted, the Indonesian government will not close its embassy in Sanaa, considering the friendship and bilateral ties that Indonesia and Yemen share.
However, the government will start repatriating its citizens in Yemen to Indonesia to ensure their security. Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi has appointed a Yemen Repatriation Task Force for this purpose.
"We particularly urge vulnerable citizens such as pregnant women, infants, and sick people to cooperate in our repatriation process," Head of the Yemen Repatriation Task Force Gatot Abdullah Mansyur remarked.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs data, there are 4,159 Indonesian citizens in Yemen, of them 1,488 are migrant workers and the remaining are students.
The evacuation plan will be announced on the ministrys official website from February 17 to 28. The evacuees will be brought from Sanaa to Jakarta by air.
"We are also considering land and sea routes as many Indonesians in Yemen reside outside Sanaa and near the sea and areas bordering Saudi Arabia," Gatot explained.
"But, of course, there are some consequences and risks that we should reconsider," he added.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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