Only 4 of 700 Filipinos escape war-torn Yemen despite order to leave

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MANILA, Philippines—Only four Filipinos have been repatriated from the war-torn Yemen out of the 700 living there since the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) ordered their mandatory repatriation last month.

Philippine Embassy officials in Yemen have, thus, renewed their call on Filipinos to leave the country as political and security situation continues to deteriorate there.

They said they facilitated the repatriation of four Filipinos on March 1 and paid for all their travel expenses from Yemen to the Philippines.

According to a news bulletin from the DFA, Consul Winston Dean S. Almeda and Attaché Camaloddin P. Manggis met with 93 Filipinos, and a handful of foreign spouses in Sana’a, Yemen’s capital, in a gathering arranged by the Filipino community organization there.

“Embassy representatives took the opportunity to reiterate the Embassy’s call for all Filipinos to immediately leave Yemen in view of the Alert Level 4 status (mandatory repatriation) in effect in the country,” the DFA said.

An Alert Level 4 or mandatory repatriation remains in effect in Yemen due to the continued occupation of the capital city Sana’a by Houthi rebels, as well as the recent suspension of operations of several embassies in the capital.

The United Nations-brokered negotiations likewise had broken down after two parties walked out in protest of the Houthis. Niña P. Calleja