The evacuation of citizens of Kyrgyzstan from the Middle East is in an active phase. Seytek Jumakadyrov, the director of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reported this at a briefing.
According to him, the ministry is making every effort to bring compatriots back home. The consulates operating in various countries are providing round-the-clock assistance in resolving citizens' issues.
“The state previously fully covered the costs for three flights to return citizens, which has been a significant event in the last ten years,” he noted.
The evacuation was offered to citizens located in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. In the next 3–4 days, it is planned to return the remaining Kyrgyz citizens, although some of them are deciding to stay as they are already working or living in these countries, Jumakadyrov added.
The director also reported that some flights that were previously suspended have now resumed. According to him, initially, about 22,000 citizens were abroad, most of whom were in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, primarily pilgrims performing Umrah.
Currently, the airline Flynas has started regular flights on the routes Jeddah–Osh and Jeddah–Bishkek, and FlyDubai is operating daily flights from the UAE. In the last two days, Air Arabia has resumed flights, and airports in Saudi Arabia and the UAE are open to passengers.
At the moment, about 3,000 citizens have already returned to Kyrgyzstan. Of this number, 426 people arrived on specially organized flights, while the rest returned independently.
In addition, about 100 citizens remain in Iran, and 97 in Israel. Most of them hold dual citizenship, and no requests for evacuation have been received so far. The Kyrgyz consulate operates in Iran, and there is an honorary consul in Israel, with whom constant contact is maintained to monitor the situation, Jumakadyrov added.
