188 Japanese, Their Family Members Evacuated in Middle East

Tokyo, March 8 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday that 188 Japanese nationals and their family members with foreign nationality were evacuated from Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait due to the deteriorating situation in the Middle East. They traveled by land to neighboring countries with assistance from the Japanese government. Plans are in place to bring home those who wish to return by chartered planes. The first group is set to arrive at Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, on Sunday night. Fourteen people–13 Japanese citizens and one foreign family member–arrived in Baku, Azerbaijan, from Tehran, Iran, early on Sunday Japan time. This evacuation followed an initial round conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday. Ninety people from the UAE were evacuated to Muscat, Oman, while 84 from Kuwait were taken to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A chartered plane from Oman, arranged by the Japanese government, is expected to arrive at Narita on Sunday evening. Another flight is scheduled to leave Saudi Arabia on Monday. As demand for evacuation may exceed capacity, additional flights are being considered. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]