BabuK
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- Jul 30, 2008
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The International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The second batch of 53 Tanzanians has arrived in the country yesterday from the war-tone Yemen, making the total number of the returnees to 71 so far.
The first batch of 18 Tanzanians arrived in the country April 21, 2015.
Speaking when welcoming the 53 Tanzanians at Julius Nyerere International Airport, spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry, Mkumbwa Ally, said the government had made efforts to ensure that Tanzanians were safe back home from Yemen.
However, he said out of the 53, the government had footed transport bills for only 39 persons who submitted themselves to Tanzania's High Commission in Muscat- Oman while the remaining 14 have been helped by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) from Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia.
There has been ongoing civil war for many weeks in Yemen, something that had made Tanzania government to rescue its citizens.
Yemen now risks descending into a full-blown civil war pitting regional, political, tribal and sectarian rivals against each other in a nation that shares a long border with top global oil exporter Saudi Arabia.
He urged other Tanzanians to register at any near Tanzania's embassy such as in Cairo- Egypt, Muscat - Oman and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia so that they can easily be identified and helped.
"The official records of Tanzanians residing in Yemen were 69. However, the number might increase due to the fact that some of them are illegally living there and are not registered at our embassy," he said.
Speaking at the airport on behalf's of other returnees from Yemeni, Said Khamis, applauded the government for helping them to come back home.
"We are safe back in to our motherland, thanks to our embassy in Muscat and the government's efforts to ensure that we are safe," Khamis said.
He said the embassy was doing a commendable job by making a follow up of Tanzanians living in Yemeni.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Project Coordinator, with the Assistance Voluntary Return Office, Husna Tandika said his organization had helped three Tanzanian families of about fourteen persona to come back home.
She said one of the duties of IOM was to help people living in dangerous conditions.
According to the coordinator, before transporting the 14 persons, it had supplied food and accommodation for at least seven days in Jeddah.
"Since the outbreak of civil war in Yemen, IOM has so far assisted over 500 peoples from Third World countries to leave Yemen.
Despite the difficulties, IOM continues to provide food, shelter, water and sanitation to stranded migrants inside Yemen," she said.
She further said IOM teams were distributing non-food relief items and shelter kits to internally displaced persons and host communities in Sana'a, Abyan and Aden.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
