At least four countries—United States, China, India, and Thailand—have ordered the evacuation of their citizens from Israel and Iran as the two sides exchanged missile fire for a fifth day.
The Philippines, through the Department of Migrant Workers, on Tuesday appealed to Filipinos set to travel to Israel, Jordan, or Iran to postpone their plans amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
This as at least 109 Filipinos in Israel have already asked to be repatriated, the DMW said, while some 51 Filipinos bound for Jordan—including 20 mothers and 23 children—arrived in Manila yesterday after being stranded in Dubai due to the shutdown of major airports in the region.
Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss also reported that 22 Filipinos are currently in Israel on official visit—17 local government officials that include several mayors as well as four dairy industry specialists from the Department of Agriculture.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump urged residents of Tehran to leave, posting on his social media that: “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!” without giving further details.
Trump said he was looking for “an end, a real end, not a ceasefire” to the conflict, adding that he wanted a “complete give-up” by Iran.
China also urged its citizens to leave Iran “as soon as possible.”
“At present, some Chinese citizens have been safely evacuated to neighboring countries,” foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters in Bejing.
The Thai government, for its part, ordered its military to prepare planes to evacuate citizens.
There are an estimated 40,000 Thais currently living in Israel, most working on farms under a government labor scheme, and around 300 nationals living in Iran.
The Thai embassy in Tehran announced on its official Facebook page that it had set up a temporary shelter for citizens outside the capital.
India urged its citizens to leave Tehran, while some nationals have already fled across the Iranian border as the country comes under Israeli bombardment.
“Residents who are self-sufficient in terms of transport have also been advised to move out of the city in view of the developing situation,” India’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
In Manila, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said “For the OFWs who are there, stay safe. Stay in an area where you are able to access a bomb shelter, whether it’s a private home bomb shelter or a public municipal shelter.”
The Philippine Embassy in Tehran is already coordinating with diplomats from Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan regarding possible land routes if Iran’s situation worsens and Filipinos must evacuate.
Meanwhile, the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) said it has not yet released any advisory covering Filipino seafarers aboard international ships near the ports of Israel or Iran.
However, the MARINA website appealed to Filipino seafarers in Israel experiencing difficulties to report to their manning agencies and relevant authorities. With AFP
