Thaindian News

New Delhi, June 7 (IANS) With more people getting killed in clashes in Yemen, India Tuesday renewed its appeal to its nationals and persons of Indian origin (PIOs) to leave the Arab country urgently and reminded them to avail of the Indian embassy’s helplines which have been used by barely a dozen people so far.

This was the third advisory issued by the Indian external affairs ministry in a fortnight.

“All Indian nationals are once again advised to leave Yemen, given the prevailing security situation,” the external affairs ministry said here.

The ministry advised them to “urgently approach” the Indian mission in Sana’a on the helplines at these numbers: +967 711 880 938 (round-the-clock - local calls only); +967 734 000 657 (round-the-clock - all calls).

They can also fax at +967 1433 630 or write an email to: helpline@eoisanaa.com and mailto:helpline@eoisanaa.com.

The ministry said these arrangements will be in effect till June 11.

The ministry expressed its wariness that despite the security situation deteriorating and helplines set up a few days ago, “not even a dozen of our nationals, have availed of the mission’s help in the past few days and actually left Yemen”.

Around 10,000 PIOs and Indian nationals are still believed to be in Yemen.

In separate advisories issued May 27 and June 5, the PIOs and Indian nationals were also advised that till they exit they should not venture out of homes except under absolutely unavoidable circumstances.

On Monday night, clashes between army troops and unidentified gunmen left 19 people, including three children, dead in two Yemeni provinces. President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who fled to Saudi Arabia last week on medical grounds, is expected to return home within a few days, a move that is likely to aggravate violence in the Arab country.