National
Kathmandu begins evacuating Nepalis in the Gulf to safety
Online portal launched to register stranded citizens and coordinate rescue efforts across West Asia.Anil Giri
The government has started relocating Nepali nationals trapped in some Gulf countries and keeping them in safe places.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, some Nepalis have been stranded in transit in places such as Dubai, Doha, and Jeddah, and are being moved to safer locations.
Tensions across the Middle East have risen since Saturday following attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran.
Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on US military bases in the region, affecting Nepalis residing in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, the UAE, Jordan, and Lebanon. This left over 1.8 million Nepal migrant workers in a state of panic.
Nepal has ten diplomatic missions in the Gulf region and they are providing regular updates on the situation and the status of the Nepali citizens, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Paudel Chhetri.
The ministry also confirmed that six Nepalis currently in Iran, and those stranded in transit, are safe. Among the six, one has contacted the Nepali Embassy in Kuwait and informed that all Nepalis in Iran are safe. Nepali Embassy in Kuwait is accredited to handle affairs related to Iran.
As per the foreign ministry, the Nepali Embassy in Kuwait reported that 150 Nepalis employed at Erbil International Airport in Iraq have been evacuated from the area and are currently staying safely in a hotel.
“Those Nepalis working at Erbil International Airport have been rescued from the site and accommodated in a hotel,” said Ramkaji Khadka, chief of the Middle Asia, West Asia and Africa Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Similarly, 36 Nepalis who had travelled to Jeddah of Saudi Arabia, for Hajj and Umrah have been stranded. Although their return flights were scheduled for March 3, their flights could not operate, according to the Nepali Consulate General in Jeddah.
Efforts are underway to bring them back to Nepal via Pakistan or Dhaka, said Khadka.
The ministry quoting the Nepali Embassy in Cairo, Egypt also reported that 3,000 Nepalis in Jordan are safe. The Consulate General in Dubai has reported that 28 Nepalis in transit in Dubai have made contact, while Flydubai Airlines has reported that 80 Nepalis have been stranded, according to the ministry.
The ministry has urged Nepalis in various Middle Eastern countries to follow the security advisories and remain in contact with their respective embassies.
As the conflict between the United States/Israel and Iran has spread across the Middle East, around 90 Nepalis who had used Kuwait as a transit point have been accommodated in a hotel there.
“Approximately 90 Nepalis who arrived via Kuwait as a transit point have been provided hotel accommodation by the airlines concerned,” said Khadka.
Missiles and drones have reportedly fallen near Kuwait Airport and US military bases, but all Nepalis there are safe, Khadka told the Post.
Citing reports sent by the Nepali Embassy in Kuwait, he further informed that government offices in Kuwait are currently operating with only 30 percent of their workforce.
Due to the evolving situation, the Nepal government has launched an online portal on Tuesday to collect details of stranded citizens and provide necessary assistance and rescue support.
The portal has been launched to register Nepalis in the Middle East and provide help with rescue operations if required. It is aimed at those living in countries including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Nepali embassies in the respective countries have urged nationals to update their details as soon as possible.
In the first phase, Nepalis stranded at airports in transit, those whose visas have expired, or those whose visas were cancelled by their companies and had already purchased return tickets but are now facing difficulties, have been requested to enter their personal details, contact information, and current status through the portal. Once the information is submitted, authorities will coordinate necessary assistance.
Embassies have also urged Nepalis facing emergencies not to fall for rumours and contact only through official channels, said the ministry.
As per an earlier decision, an Emergency Response Committee has been formed under the coordination of Foreign Secretary Amrit Rai to address issues concerning Nepalis in the Middle East.
The Emergency Response Team includes representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Law, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Education, Department of Foreign Employment, Department of Immigration, Consular Service Department, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, among other relevant agencies.
So far, one Nepali, Diwas Shrestha of Gorkha, has died in the UAE. The ministry said efforts will be made to repatriate the body once conditions permit.




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