Yemen war: Clock ticking for stranded families

Over 2,000 Pakistanis are looking for a way out of the peninsula as airstrikes escalate

KARACHI:

Farhan Farooqi’s family in Karachi is distressed. Just nine days ago, the newlywed groom set off for Yemen, which is embroiled in a long-running civil war on one side and an insurgency on the other.

With the entire state system collapsing around him, Farhan finds himself increasingly stranded.

While trouble has been brewing in the strategic Arab country for nearly five years, the turmoil grew into a full-blown regional conflict as Saudi Arabia started bombing Houthi rebels, who had forced President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi to flee in February.

Farhan is among more than 2,000 Pakistanis stranded in Yemen. His best bet is to look for a way out of the peninsula before the Saudi-led airstrikes escalate. With more countries, including Pakistan and Morocco, likely to join the military operation against the rebels in the coming days, the families back home are growing restless.

There was some hope for them on Saturday as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ordered a comprehensive plan for the evacuation of stranded Pakistanis and the national flag carrier jumped into action and prepared two aircraft for the purpose. One of the planes will depart for Yemen on Sunday (today).

Passionate appeal

“Consider them as your own children. Bring them back to Pakistan,” is the appeal of Farhan’s father to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Sohail Farooqi told The Express Tribune his son left for Yemen on March 19. “There was no news of violence or riots at that time,” he says. “The situation escalated only when the Saudis started airstrikes.”

“Not a single Pakistani should be left behind,” Sohail asserts. “This is not our issue but an issue for the whole Pakistani nation.”

Farhan works as a procurement manager at a supermarket. He and his wife are currently living with five other families in a house in Sanaa, looking for ways to shelter themselves from the ongoing bombardment. He has complained of blackouts and shortage of food and water in conversations with his family.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry officials estimate around 2,145 Pakistanis are currently living in Yemen with 560 stranded in the besieged capital city of Sanaa alone.

As most airports in the war-torn country are no more functional, many families will have to be safely taken, in the form of convoys, to the Yemen’s neighbouring countries and then airlifted to Pakistan from there.

Growing concern

Another affected family said they were worried about their loved ones, especially the children who were terrified of the bombings. “The bombing gets worse at night and my niece gets very scared. We can only pray for their safe return,” says Mahwash, whose sister Ammara and brother-in-law Umair live in Yeman with a minor daughter.

Social activist Ansar Burney believes the Pakistanis stuck in Yemen are facing conditions worse than those when the civil war broke out in Libya. He also pointed out that seaports and airports in Yemen are closed at the moment and it is unclear where the PIA planes will land to evacuate Pakistanis.

“We have requested Omani and Saudi Arabian authorities to issue visas on borders if our people reach those countries by road,” he said. “They will have to be careful as people travelling in groups can be harmed by the rebels.

Burney added that another 80 Pakistanis, who are part of school staff, are also stranded in Yemen.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29^th, 2015.