REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Indonesian government has started to repatriate its nationals following the deteriorating security situation in Yemen. The evacuation announcement will be live on the ministry's official website on February 17-28, 2015.

"We particularly urge vulnerable citizens, such as pregnant women, infants, and sick people to cooperate in the repatriation process," Foreign Affairs Ministry's Head of Yemen Repatriation Task Force, Gatot Abdullah Mansyur, said during a press briefing here on Thursday, January 18.

Gatot explained that after launching the official announcement, the Indonesian Embassy in Sanaa will identify safe houses and consider the possible route to repatriate the citizens back to Indonesia.

According to Gatot, currently, a total of three safe houses in Yemen are already being operated in the Indonesian Embassy, Indonesian Ambassador's residence, and the Indonesian Student Association (PPI) secretariat offices.

With regard to the route for repatriating the Indonesian citizens, Gatot remarked that the government is planning to charter some aircraft or book some seats for ten to twenty Indonesians to be repatriated in the first batch.

"Besides the air route, we are also considering land and sea routes as many Indonesians in Yemen were residing outside the Capital Sanaa and were living near the sea and the area bordering Saudi Arabia," he explained.

"But, of course, there are some consequences and risks that we should reconsider," Gatot added. More importantly, Gatot noted that the government will arrange to pick up the registered citizens from their homes and bring them to the nearest safe house and then transfer them to Sanaa before repatriating them to Indonesia.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' data, there are 4,159 Indonesian citizens in Yemen, comprising 1,488 migrant workers and the rest are students. The ministry also issued a travel advisory for Indonesian citizens who are planning to travel to Yemen.

The tense political situation in Yemen has escalated after the Yemeni president and prime minister resigned on January 22, and the rebel leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi emerged as the new leader of Yemen.

Despite the fact that 12 foreign representatives have closed their embassies in Yemen, the Indonesian government will not close its embassy in Sanaa, considering the friendship and bilateral ties shared between Indonesia and Yemen.

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