Indonesians in Kuwait on high alert<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
With the war in Iraq starting to affecting its neighboring
\ncountries, the Indonesian government has intensified preparations
\nfor the evacuation of its 35,000 citizens in Kuwait to a safer
\nlocation.<\/p>\n
Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said on
\nSaturday that the embassy in Kuwait City had prepared steps to
\nmove Indonesian nationals to the southern part of Kuwait should
\nthe situation worsen.<\/p>\n
"Our embassy reported that so far, there has been no major
\nexodus or evacuation of our citizens, as the situation remains
\nnormal despite the war," he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Embassy is also preparing additional places of
\nrefuge for its citizens in anticipation of a mass evacuation. The
\nIndonesian government has chosen Saudi Arabia as the central
\nrefuge for Indonesians in the Middle East should the Iraq war
\nescalate.<\/p>\n
Marty said that the chief of the national team on Iraq, Adm.
\n(ret) Widodo A.S., is currently assessing the condition in Kuwait
\nto see whether it was necessary to relocate Indonesian citizens.<\/p>\n
"The President is expected to hear further recommendations
\nfrom Pak Widodo as to whether we have to take other emergency
\nsteps in Kuwait," Marty remarked.<\/p>\n
Widodo left for Kuwait on Thursday as soon as the United
\nStates began its strike on Iraq, which borders Kuwait.<\/p>\n
Kuwait has been targeted by Iraqi missiles since the beginning
\nof the war, as many U.S. troops are stationed there.<\/p>\n
Air raid sirens have been keeping the country on high alert to
\npossible missile attacks.<\/p>\n
Several other governments, such as those of Germany and
\nMalaysia, are also preparing to evacuate their nationals from
\ncountries bordering Iraq.<\/p>\n
The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) has received airspace
\nclearance for its Hercules C-130 military transporters flying
\ninto Kuwait, Syria, Iran, Jordan and Bahrain, the New Straits
\nTimes said.<\/p>\n
Malaysian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Syed Hussein
\nAl Habshee said Bahrain and Kuwait had given the green light for
\nRMAF transport planes to fly over their respective airspace and
\nland in Kuwait City to pick up Malaysian nationals.<\/p>\n
Government data shows that most of the Indonesian nationals
\nworking in Kuwait are domestic helpers.<\/p>\n
Marty said that the embassy had assigned several officers as
\nregional coordinators to conduct regular supervision of
\nIndonesians in Kuwait, should immediate evacuation be necessary.<\/p>\n
"We have received reports from the coordinator and so far, our
\ncitizens working as domestic helpers are remaining with their
\nemployers, and we hope they will accompany their employers to
\nsafer grounds in the event their employers decide to do so," he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
The evacuation team has been working to prepare emergency
\nprocedures over the past three months, while seeking guarantees
\nfrom several Middle Eastern countries for the safety of
\nIndonesian nationals in the region.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesians-in-kuwait-on-high-alert-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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