Indonesian Embassy in Amman confirms 27 Indonesian worship pilgrims have left Jordan
Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Amman has confirmed that dozens of Indonesian citizens who were undertaking a religious pilgrimage in Jordan have been able to depart the country after being affected by the dynamics of the conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel.
According to a statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu), KBRI Amman has communicated with the group of Indonesian citizens who reported flight cancellations and asked for KBRI assistance for their repatriation.
‘KBRI Amman continues to actively communicate and monitor the condition of the tourist group. So far, 27 Indonesian worship pilgrims from different groups have left Jordan on an alternative flight via Cairo,’ Kemlu said when contacted in Jakarta, on Thursday.
One of the groups, which had just completed a visit to the Petra site, contacted KBRI Amman for the first time on Monday (2 March) and expressed concerns about the cancellation of their return flight home scheduled for Wednesday (4 March).
KBRI Amman quickly responded to the group and offered alternative flight options. But on Tuesday (3 March), the same group reported that the flight they had booked with a different airline had also been cancelled.
The group of worshippers then asked for information about available charter aircraft in Jordan, and KBRI Amman undertook to provide that information as requested.
However, KBRI Amman informed the group that for various considerations, there is currently no plan to evacuate Indonesian citizens.
KBRI Amman has also followed up on requests for medicines as requested, and Indonesian menu items were sent to the Indonesian worship group.
Thus, Kemlu RI stated that information claiming that KBRI Amman did not respond to complaints by Indonesian citizens affected by the flight cancellations, as circulating in video on social media, is untrue.
‘The uploader also apologised because they were attempting via various means simultaneously,’ Kemlu RI said.
In responding to the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono held a virtual meeting on Tuesday (3 March) with the head of RI representation in the region to discuss developments and needed follow-up actions.
On that occasion, the Foreign Minister stressed that protecting Indonesian citizens is the top priority. He also asked all RI representatives to remain vigilant and update contingency measures in accordance with developments.