SG helps evacuate 24 Filipinos from troubled Middle East

Singapore has provided assistance in evacuating 24 Filipinos from the Middle East, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday amid the raging war in the region.

They were given seats in a Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) A330 Multi-Role Transport Tanker (MRTT) that was deployed by Singapore to evacuate its 81 nationals from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

"The DFA conveys its sincere appreciation to the Government of Singapore for this benevolent act, which exemplifies the ASEAN spirit of solidarity," the department said in a statement. The Philippines and Singapore are both members of the 11-member Association of South East Asian Nations.

Philippine officials said they had been unable to secure outbound flights from Jeddah due to limited flight availability because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Aside from the Filipinos, Singapore also evacuated nationals of Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam using the same aircraft, Singapore Ambassador Constance See told GMA News Online.

"This is in the spirit of solidarity, just as how other countries have assisted Singaporeans in returning home in past crises," See said.

The Singaporean aircraft departed King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah at 4:00 p.m. on March 12. They arrived in Singapore at 6:00 a.m. on March 13. 

The Filipinos were assisted by the Philippine Embassy in Singapore with their onward travel to the Philippines, the DFA said.

"This was very much a partnership. We worked in close coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, to facilitate the Filipinos who joined the flight," See said.

"The Philippine government, through the DFA and its missions, has been mounting complex repatriation efforts to bring Filipinos home safely. Our flight complements those efforts," she added.

Hundreds of Filipino workers and stranded tourists in the Middle East sought evacuation after the United States and Israel unleashed airstrikes against Iran, killing its leader and other top officials.

Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks against neighboring Gulf countries hosting US military bases and those with close ties to Washington, endangering the security of tens of thousands of Filipinos workers across the volatile region.

The ongoing war is a major concern for the Philippines in the Middle East, where more than 2.4 Filipinos live and work, including more than 30,000 in Israel. 

Ensuring their safety, including by evacuations, has been a logistical challenge in the past.

The DFA said it "remains committed to protecting the welfare of Filipinos overseas and ensuring their safe return home." —AOL, GMA Integrated News