35 evacuated Filipinos from Afghanistan arrive in PH

MANILA, Philippines — Thirty-five Filipinos evacuated from Afghanistan arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

The Filipinos were evacuated from Afghanistan by their respective companies and brought to Doha, Qatar, the DFA said in a situation bulletin.

From there, they boarded a DFA-chartered plane to the Philippines.

“The group arrived earlier at [Ninoy Aquino International Airport] Terminal 1,” the DFA added.

READ: Filipinos in Afghanistan to be evacuated as security situation worsens

Updated figures from the DFA show there are a total of 132 Filipinos in Afghanistan, most of whom are professionals working for international companies.

“The DFA is working non-stop to explore all options to ensure the safety and welfare of our people in Afghanistan in the face of challenging conditions,” DFA Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez told reporters.

Earlier, the DFA raised Alert Level 4 (mandatory repatriation/evacuation) in Afghanistan due to the “worsening security situation” there.

READ: How did the Taliban take over Afghanistan so quickly?

JE