MAE: Approximately 200 Romanians request evacuation from Israel and Iran

Approximately 200 Romanians are requesting evacuation from Israel and Iran, in the context of the conflict in the region, announced on Monday the Secretary of State for European Affairs, the Middle East and Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE), Clara Staicu."The situation is fluid. Our colleagues are in constant contact with them to see what possibilities they have in terms of time and what the safe exit routes will be. Further repatriation actions are expected to follow," Staicu told a press conference.She recalled that the MAE's Crisis cell, operational at all times, has been activated on the night of 12 to 13 June, in order to coordinate the necessary actions in this context.According to the secretary of state in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the decision to use military aircraft for possible evacuations will be made at government level.Clara Staicu presented the situation of Romanian citizens who have announced their presence in the Middle Eastern countries involved in the conflict to the Romanian diplomatic missions.Forty people contacted the Romanian Embassy in Tehran, of whom four tourists left Iran on 14 June and another three on 16 June. As a result, 33 people have remained on the mission's list. The evacuation was carried out exclusively by land and took place via Azerbaijan.Approximately 200 people called the missions in Tel Aviv and Ramallah. Of these, 52, a group of pilgrims, left for Egypt on 14 June. Another 28 pilgrims also crossed into Egypt.Another 39 pilgrims are in Bethlehem and are being supported by the Romanian mission in Ramallah, while they are being assessed for evacuation.The Consulate General of Romania in Haifa has been notified by 87 people and is assessing a possible evacuation to Romania.As many as 47 people called the emergency number at the Romanian Embassy in Amman, most of them requesting information about the closure of Jordanian airspace, without requesting repatriation.No requests were registered at the Romanian mission in Beirut."We have around 385 requests that we are following up on. All the steps we are taking involve coordination between the capital, the diplomatic missions in the affected countries and the local authorities in order to identify safe evacuation options. We are also in constant coordination with the missions of other European and allied countries that have citizens in similar situations," explained Clara Staicu.She said that the evacuation of non-essential personnel from diplomatic missions in risk areas is being discussed, but ?the situation is very fluid, no decision has been made in this regard.'The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has no information about Romanian citizens who may have been injured in the armed attacks in Israel or Iran, the secretary of state said.