US evacuates 28,000 citizens from Middle East

More than 28000 American citizens have safely returned to the US from the Middle East since late February the State Department said on Saturday as Washington continues largescale evacuation and assistance efforts across the regionIn a statement Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson said the US government had been coordinating flights ground transport and emergency assistance to help Americans leave the region amid ongoing security concernsSince February 28 more than 28000 American citizens have safely returned to the United States from the Middle East Johnson added He said that the data does not include Americans who have travelled to other countries in the region or those still in transit on their way back to the USThese figures do not include the many Americans who have safely relocated to other countries or those who have left the Middle East but are still in transit back to the US the statement saidThe US State Department said that it had organised special charter flights to move Americans out of areas affected by instabilityAdditionally the Department of State has completed more than a dozen charter flights and has safely evacuated thousands of Americans from the Middle East Johnson said Officials said the evacuation effort continues even as commercial aviation links across the region begin to stabiliseWhile commercial flight availability across the region continues to improve Department of State charter flight and ground transport operations continue to ramp up as security conditions allow the statement saidThe State Departments emergency task force has also been coordinating assistance requests from American citizens across multiple Middle Eastern countries Through the State Departments 247 Task Force we have directly assisted more than 16000 Americans abroad offering security guidance and travel assistance Johnson addedUS officials said American citizens in several Gulf countries and Israel who require help leaving the region should contact the department through its crisis system American citizens in Oman Kuwait Bahrain the United Arab Emirates Qatar Saudi Arabia and Israel in need of travel assistance should complete the Crisis Intake Form the statement saidThe State Department emphasised that assistance efforts will continue for as long as Americans remain in need of help leaving the region The State Department will continue to actively assist any American citizen who wishes to leave the Middle East to do so Johnson saidOfficials also urged Americans seeking help to contact the departments emergency hotline Americans in the Middle East who need assistance can call the US Department of State 247 at 12025014444 the statement saidThe evacuation effort comes as tensions across parts of the Middle East have escalated in recent weeks prompting Washington to advise American citizens to reconsider travel and review security conditions in several countriesThe US government has in the past organised largescale evacuations of citizens during crises in conflict zones or regions facing sudden instability often coordinating charter flights military transport and diplomatic assistance through Embassies and ConsulatesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever