China’s valiant rescue efforts

Helping the civilians stranded in Yemen

War brings death and destruction without discriminating between innocents and warring factions. It leaves behind scars which are hard to heel. Fortunate are the civilians who are evacuated from a war zone. And brave are those who evacuate them, putting their own lives in danger.

Three Chinese missile frigates have evacuated around 800 foreign nationals trapped in the war zone in the port city of Aden in the war-hit Yemen. Those stranded included around 600 Chinese and 200 Pakistanis. No evacuation operation could be carried out from Aden after the city fell to the Houthi forces last week. Saudi Arabian jets pounded the local airport to make sure the rebel forces could not fly Yemeni jets, leaving the airport operations suspended.

And this piece is an ode to the Chinese rescuers who helped the stranded people. You have done a great job, thank you.

The Chinese Navy frigates evacuated almost all those stranded foreigners from Aden who were able to reach the seaport and complete their emigration.

While many countries joined a coalition led by Saudi Arabia to pound sensitive installations, heavy weaponry and hideouts of the rebel forces in Yemen, China is one of the few countries endeavouring to save human lives in the conflict-hit country as locals and foreign nationals were caught between the warring factions.

The Saudi coalition should be condemned for going on an unprovoked bombing and leaving hundreds of thousands of people in danger. Opening shellfire on civilians is not an act of a civilised country.

The Chinese vessels transported the people they evacuated to the port of Djibouti from where the evacuees were transported back to their homes in special flights. A special plane of PIA took home 176 Pakistanis from Djibouti where they had arrived on Thursday evening on a Chinese naval ship from Yemen’s Aden port. With the arrival of this fresh group, the total number of Pakistanis – who have so far returned from Yemen – has reached to 678.

Carrying Pakistani and Chinese flags, the jubilant and relieved Pakistanis thanked the governments of China and Pakistan for ensuring their safe return.

Pakistan welcomed the Chinese help that ensured the safe evacuation of its nationals who were facing problems in leaving Yemen by air.

“As an all-weather friend, China’s cooperation in ensuring safe evacuation of our citizens has been exemplary,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told media.

“To ensure earliest possible evacuation, we enlisted Chinese support since their ships were already in the region evacuating their nationals from Aden to Djibouti,” she said. Senior Pakistani diplomat also hailed the Chinese cooperation at a time when the stranded Pakistanis had no option to leave Yemen by air and road.

Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Defence, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, said that China’s timely rescue of stranded Pakistanis from Yemen proves the old adage that “a friend in need is a friend indeed”.

“This is, of course, not the first time when China has come to Pakistan’s rescue in difficult moments. That’s why Pakistanis term China as our ‘all-weather friend’ and ‘iron brother’,” Mushahid added.

“This new role of China is a matter of pride for Pakistan and its people since China’s peaceful, positive projection of naval capabilities in the Indian Ocean in providing humanitarian assistance in an emergency augurs well for stability, peace and security in Asia. It is also a fine example of Asians helping fellow Asians, demonstrating Asian solidarity to serve humanity,” said Mushahid.

Anum Ahmed was among the Pakistanis who were desperate and had almost lost hopes.

“We were under constant threat. There were airstrikes in our area. We are thankful to Chinese and Pakistani governments for evacuating us while we had lost hopes,” said Anum Ahmed, a schoolteacher who was among the 176 Pakistanis who arrived here on Friday.

“We were confined to our homes there. The last few days were certainly very terrifying. Our evacuation is another example of Pakistan-China friendship,” she added.

The evacuation is a humanitarian relief campaign conducted by the Chinese government at the request of relevant countries. It is also a special action by the Chinese government to evacuate foreign nationals stuck in dangerous zones for the first time, a move embodying the notions of putting the people first, internationalism and humanitarianism held by the Chinese government.

The Chinese military vessels not only saved the lives of their own citizens but also evacuated others from the war zone. It is the first time that a Chinese military vessel has joined in the evacuation of foreign nationals as part of its international humanitarian aid.

The emergency evacuation operation was conducted as the Saudi-led coalition jets were savagely bombing the Aden airport and no flight could take off or land at the airport. Moreover, the coalition forces were not ready to allow any civilian flight in the war zone due to security threats. The Houthi rebels on ground were making advances, attacking positions held by forces loyal to ousted President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.

Keeping in view the gravity of the situation, the Chinese Ministry of Defence tasked a People’s Liberation Army Navy fleet to conduct an escort mission in the Gulf of Aden to carry out the evacuation of the Chinese nationals who had been stranded in the war zone. The Chinese government also directed the Navy fleet to also evacuate other foreign nationals who could not be evacuated due to security threats.

With the support of Chinese embassies, three Chinese missile frigates arrived at the Port of Aden in Yemen last Sunday night and started evacuation operation which was completed by Tuesday.

The gravity of the situation could be gauged by the fact that while the Chinese vessels were concluding their evacuation operation in Aden on April 2, the Houthis had taken over the presidential palace in the city.

On April 2, the Linyi Missile Frigate of the Chinese Navy, evacuated around 225 nationals of ten countries from Aden, the port city of Yemen. Those evacuated were the foreigners who had been stranded among the warring factions with no hope for survival.

Out of the 225 foreigners evacuated, majority were Pakistani citizens. Those evacuated included 176 from Pakistan, 29 from Ethiopia, five from Singapore, three from Italy, three from Germany, four from Poland, one from Ireland, two from the UK, and one each from Canada and Yemen.

After evacuating the foreign nationals, the Chinese Navy started evacuation operation of its own nationals from Yemen. The Chinese frigates evacuated a total of 571 Chinese nationals and eight foreign employees of the Chinese enterprises from Yemen to Djibouti. They will take civilian flights to return home.

Under this evacuation operation, the Foreign Ministry of China coordinated with relevant countries, the Chinese Navy immediately dispatched a military vessel to the port of Aden for the evacuation, and the Chinese embassies in Yemen and Djibouti and the Consulate General in Aden surmounted numerous difficulties to complete relevant formalities and organise the safe evacuation of foreign nationals. The mission was a full success.

The evacuees were greeted at the harbour by Djiboutian officials, Chinese ambassador to Djibouti and other diplomats. Djiboutian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahamoud Ali Youssouf expressed his thanks to China’s help in evacuating foreign nationals, saying the move was very touching. Djibouti had offered assistance and convenience to ensure evacuation procedures.