VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian government has evacuated 30 Indonesian citizens from Syria, who were affected by the conflict and arrived in the country on Sunday (15/12). The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to collect data and communicate with Indonesian citizens in Syria regarding their willingness to evacuate to their homeland, according to a press release from the ministry in Jakarta on Sunday.

Previously, the Indonesian government successfully evacuated 35 Indonesians on 12 December, bringing the total number of Indonesians who have been repatriated from Syria to 65.

Like the previous process, the second wave of evacuation was carried out on land by crossing the Masnaa border to reach Lebanon, followed by a flight to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

The evacuated Indonesians came from various regions in Indonesia, such as Aceh, Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, West Nusa Tenggara, Central Sulawesi, and South Sulawesi. They consist of 25 women and 5 men.

According to previous data collection, there are 1,162 Indonesians staying in Syria, with 65 having arrived in the country, and 84 others have stated that they want to return to their homeland.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indonesian Embassy in Damascus continue to monitor the security situation in Syria, and until now, the security situation is very dynamic, including Israel, which continues to launch attacks on Syria. The government has also taken various steps to protect Indonesian citizens, including intensive coordination between ministries and institutions, updating the contingency plan, including evacuation routes, online meetings with Indonesian citizens in Syria, and coordination with local governments to ensure safe corridors for the movement of Indonesian citizens to the border.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges Indonesian citizens to remain attentive to developments in the security situation in Syria, increase vigilance, avoid vulnerable locations and crowds, minimise unnecessary movements, and maintain close communication with the Indonesian Embassy in Damascus, and among Indonesian citizens.