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Filipinos in Yemen ‘safe for now, but in need of assistance’

Don Kevin Hapal

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

Filipinos in Yemen ‘safe for now, but in need of assistance’

AFP

Around 170 Filipinos in Yemen are safe but are in need of help from the Philippine government as tensions soar in the country

MANILA, Philippines – Around 170 Filipinos in Yemen remain safe but are in need of help from the Philippine government as tensions soar in the country, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) said.

Irene Reyes Versoza, a Filipina nurse at the University of Science and Technology Hospital at Sana’a, said in a phone interview with Rappler that there are still no reported Filipino casualties as government forces clash with rebels in Yemen’s capital.

Gun battles forced establishments to close on Sunday, December 3, as a 3-year rebel alliance collapsed into a street war that has since left dozens dead in the city, according to the Agence France-Presse. This came after Yemen’s powerful ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh reached out to a Saudi-led coalition fighting the rebels.

Saleh was killed by rebels on Monday, December 4, while trying to escape from the fighting in Sana’a, further escalating tensions, with the Saudi-led coalition stepping up airstrikes in rebel-held areas.

According to Versoza, Sana’a was immediately put on lockdown after Saleh’s death. They were advised to stay inside their homes amid heavy fighting on streets and as airstrikes rocked the city.

“Three days nasa loob lang ako ng k’warto. Sabi ko, ‘Lord, ikaw na lang talaga pag-asa namin.’ Nung lumabas ako, nagpulot ako ng bala sa labas. Ang mga airstrike, matindi. Di mo maririnig kung sa’n babagsak,” she said.

(I was inside my room for 3 days. I said, “Lord, you’re our only hope.” When I went out, I picked up bullets on the street. Airstrikes were intense. You wouldn’t know where bombs would be dropped.)

Versoza wants her family in the Philippines and the relatives of other OFWs in Yemen to “not worry so much,” as they are “still safe.”

They need help from gov’t

Versoza, who has been in contact with Filipinos in different areas of Yemen, said that while no Filipino has been hurt so far, they, especially those who are in conflict areas, need help from the Philippine government.

The Saudi-led coalition has closed all air, land, and seaports in Yemen. Many Filipinos want to go home but can’t due to the blockade, Versoza said.

“Maraming stranded sa conflict areas, like sa Aden, may Pilipina dun na isang pamilya, dalawang anak, na stranded at hindi makauwi. Bawal pang mag-travel, hindi pa safe,” she added.

(Many are stranded in conflict areas, like in Aden, where a Filipina has a family with two children, who are stranded and can’t go home. It’s still not safe to travel.)

The blockade is also preventing humanitarian aid, such as food and medicine, to access Yemen. United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Yemen Jamie McGoldrick, said that about 8.4 million Yemenis are “a step away from famine,” according to a report.

As the economy crumbles, Versoza says many Filipino are also jobless and have barely enough to sustain themselves in the country. Some Filipinos working in Yemen have also not been getting their wage for months.

Amid the crisis, Filipinos in Yemen has taken it upon themselves to help each other, donating food and other resources to those in need.

“Kami-kami lang ang nagtutulungan. May organization ang church namin na nagbibigay ng pagkain, tulong. Kung may sideline na available, [ang nangangailanan] ang tinatawagan at binibigyan ng priority para makatawid-gutom,” she shared.

(We’re helping each other. Our church has an organization that gives out food and help. If there are side jobs available, we call and give priority to those in need so they can get by.)

While some Filipinos already want to go home, some like Versoza want to stay, mostly because they can’t afford to lose their jobs.

“I am a single mom, may apat na anak. Kahit na mahirap, talagang titiisin ko. Sabi ko, si Lord na lang ang bahala. Miss na miss ko na ang mga anak ko. Minsan, di mo talaga masabi sa kanila lahat,” she said, crying.

(I am a single mom with 4 children. Even if it’s hard, I need to endure. I said, it’s all up to the Lord. I miss my children so much. Sometimes, you just can’t tell them everything.)

They are also motivated by a sense of loyalty to the Yemenis, who, according to her, treat Filipinos well.

“Nasasaktan kami dahil hindi deserve ng mga Yemenis na maranasan nila ang ganitong tension…. Ang mga Filipino dito, compared sa ibang country, tinitingala nila at nirerespeto. Kaya masakit sa amin na maranasan nila ang ganitong sitwasyon, na may namamatay nang walang kalaban-laban.”

(We’re hurting because Yemenis don’t deserve to experience this tension…. Filipinos here, compared to other countries, are being respected. That’s why seeing Yemenis suffer like this is hard for us, for some to die unable to put up a fight.)

Contact OWWA

Versoza said that someone from the Philippine embassy in Riyadh already called her to inquire about their situation, but no assistance from the Philippine government has reached them so far.

She said that many Filipinos already wish to be repatriated, but for those who want to stay, their only request is for the availability of a hotline they can call in case of an emergency. The Philippines does not have an embassy in Yemen.

“Kung sakali man maging critical ang ground fight, may matawagan sana kaming hotline na p’wede kaming ma-repatriate,” she said. (In case ground fights become critical, hopefully, there’s a hotline we can call for help in repatriating us.)

Those who are jobless can also use some financial assistance, as well as their families in the Philippines who are unable to receive remittances.

Asked about government’s response to the crisis, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Robespierre Bolivar said he had already contacted “our Migrant Workers Office and the PH Embassy in Riyadh to look into this.”

Overseas Workers Welfare Administration’s Repatriation and Assistance Division’s officer-in-charge Mario Antonio advised Filipino kin of OFWs in Yemen who need help to come to their office, so they can track Filipinos there and find a way to assist them. – Rappler.com  

 

 

 

 

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Don Kevin Hapal

Don Kevin Hapal is Rappler’s Head of Data and Innovation. He started at Rappler as a digital communications specialist, then went on to lead Rappler’s Balikbayan section for overseas Filipinos. He was introduced to data journalism while writing and researching about social media, disinformation, and propaganda.