As many as 65 Andhra Pradesh expatriates out of the 71 identified thus far have returned to India safely from strife-torn Sudan, the state-government body Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society (APNRTS) said on Monday.
Out of the six remaining expats, one has reached Port of Sudan and another has reached Jeddah in Saudi Arabia while four more are expected to reach the Sub-Saharan country’s port city shortly, APNRTS chief executive P Hemalatha Rani said, adding that they would then be ferried back to India with the help of the Ministry of External Affairs.
As per the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, one evacuee has been quarantined in Delhi and four more in Cochin as they did not produce yellow fever vaccination certificates, Rani said in a press release shared on Monday.
APNRTS president Venkat S Medapati said that evacuees arriving in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Cochin airports were being safely repatriated to their hometowns at the state government’s expense.
He said AP Bhavan officials in Delhi as well as APNRTS had arranged for local transport to Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, and Tirupati via air and road, while district officials were assisting the returnees with transportation to reach their hometowns further away.
Family members of any distressed expatriates can reach out to APNRTS 24/7 helpline numbers 0863-2340678 and 85000 27678 (WhatsApp) or email helpline@apnrts.com for immediate repatriation support, said Medapati.