Tunisia is preparing to launch a military and civilian airbridge from Sunday evening to repatriate members of the Tunisian community in Ukraine, forced by the war to leave the country’s territories to neighboring countries (Poland and Romania), announced the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad Othman Jerandi.
Speaking after a meeting at the Palace of Carthage with President Kais Saied and Prime Minister Najla Bouden, the head of Tunisian diplomacy reassured members of the community and students residing in Ukraine and their families of “the existence of a plan” to evacuate them from Ukraine and repatriate those who wish to return home.
That plan provides for the creation of contact points on Ukrainian soil to bring together members of the Tunisian community in addition to the Tunisian embassies in Poland, Romania, Moldova and Hungary, said the Foreign Minister.
Jerandi also called on members of the community and students who want to leave Ukraine to register as soon as possible on the lists of contact points deployed on Ukrainian territory, in addition to the Tunisian embassies in countries neighbouring Ukraine (Poland, Romania and Hungary) and to call the toll-free numbers provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Parents can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make sure their children are safe, said the minister, recalling the holding of a meeting on Saturday between his department, the Ministry of Defence, national carrier “Tunisair” and the Ministry of Transport.
This meeting aimed to ensure repatriation flights from Sunday evening, after listing the Tunisians who landed in Romania in order to launch a military and civilian air bridge according to the needs and flows of Tunisians.
Several contacts have been established with a number of ambassadors of the countries concerned by the crisis, namely Russia, Ukraine, Poland and Romania in order to initiate preparations for the evacuation of students and members of the Tunisian community in Ukraine to neighbouring countries where they will be hosted by Tunisia’s embassies in Poland and Romania.
A crisis unit has been created within the department, the minister said, adding that it is in permanent contact with the presidency of the Republic to keep it informed of the evolution of the situation in the region and the latest developments in the process of repatriation of the community as well as the plans implemented for this purpose.
Contacts have also been made with international humanitarian organisations operating in conflict zones, Jerandi revealed, saying that he had informed them of the plans to evacuate Tunisians in Ukraine as well as the available routes to Poland and Romania.
Several Tunisian students are already on Moldovan soil. They have been grouped together by international humanitarian organisations, the minister reported, assuring that they will be transferred to Romania where they will be taken care of by the Tunisian embassy.
