8 Filipino women, children arrive from Yemen

Anti-government protestors, chant slogans as they block the road with rocks and burning tires during clashes with Yemeni security forces in Taiz, Yemen, Wednesday. AP

MANILA, Philippines—Four Filipino women and four children have arrived in Manila from Yemen as the Philippines sends home its nationals from the Middle Eastern country wracked by a wave of violence.

The eight Filipinos arrived in Manila on Tuesday and 19 more are scheduled to be repatriated this week, said the Department of Foreign Affairs said, citing a report of the Philippine Embassy team in Sanaa.

This brought to 178 the number of Filipinos who responded to Manila’s call to return home, the DFA said.

Protesters have turned out in their tens of thousands across Yemen demanding the fall of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Already, more than 180 protesters have been killed by government security forces since January and thousands wounded.

On Friday, the DFA said that eight Filipinos—one male, four females and three children—will arrive in Manila and another batch of 11 composed of five males, four females and two children are expected to arrive on Sunday.

“The Embassy teams in Sanaa and Aden are assisting the Filipinos in securing exit visas at the Immigration Center, together with Philippine Honorary Consul in Yemen Mohammad Al-Jamal,” the DFA said in a statement.

The embassy has encouraged Filipinos in Yemen to avail of the government’s voluntary repatriation.

For those who would like to stay, Philippine Embassy in Riyadh Charge d’Affaires Ezzedin Tago appealed “to consider sending their minor children and dependents to the Philippines immediately while commercial flights are available and the international airport is open and operational.”