Lagos – Nigeria’s government on Wednesday planned to start airlifting more than 1 000 citizens stranded in countries neighbouring Ukraine after they fled the Russian invasion.
African countries have been scrambling to help citizens living in Ukraine who crossed over borders into Poland, Romania and Hungary, especially after reports some were mistreated or blocked at the frontier.
Three jets chartered from local carriers Max Air and Airpeace would leave on Wednesday, with the capacity to bring back nearly 1 300 people from Poland, Romania and Hungary, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
ALSO READ | Ghana, Nigeria flying home citizens stranded by Ukraine crisis
“The first batch of evacuees are expected to arrive in Nigeria on Thursday, March 3,” Gabriel Aduda, permanent secretary for the ministry, said in the statement.
11 Nigeria Students From Ukraine, We Successful Got Them, Hosted At The Embassy Of Nigeria In Prague, Czech Republic.
We Sorted Accommodation, Supplies & Things Needed, We Will Still Do More, Keep The Support Coming. Thank You.Follow On Instagram: bugzydvinci for more info. pic.twitter.com/tQfZMZvp62
— Cryptodamus (@bugzydvinci) March 1, 2022
“We assure Nigerians that we are working around the clock to see that our citizens are bought back home safely”.
Ukraine’s ambassador to South Africa said this week the country has about 16 000 African students there, but many are from countries with no embassy in Ukraine, complicating the situation.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has 5 600 students in Ukraine, according to the ministry.
Max Air will today begin airlifting 560 stranded Nigerians fleeing the Russia-Ukraine war via Romania. They will be the first airline to answer the clarion call. Nigeria is sheltering and providing food to 650 evacuees in Hungary,350 in Poland,940 in Romania and 150 in Slovakia . pic.twitter.com/l1mbOHYKgB
— Onovwo_ᴏᴍᴀsᴏʀᴏ ᴀʟɪ ᴏᴠɪᴇ ™☤?? (@OvieNews) March 2, 2022
Ghana on Tuesday brought back its first group of 17 out of more than 500 students from Ukraine’s neighbouring countries.
Governments from South Africa to Democratic Republic of Congo are working to help their citizens out, some dispatching diplomats to Ukraine’s borders to aid students who complain of being blocked in Ukraine.
ALSO READ | Nigeria condemns reports of racism at Ukraine border
The Africa Union on Monday condemned reports Africans had been mistreated and in some cases denied the right to cross Ukraine borders to safety, saying such treatment would be “shockingly racist”.
A group of around 30 students from Cameroon who until recently had been in the central Ukrainian city of Kirovograd said it was only in the last few days that they had experienced racism in Ukraine.
Before the war, they told AFP, all was fine, but after the invasion they were kept away from trains leaving the country.
Polish officials say everyone has been treated equally crossing the border. Ukraine’s border service also told AFP no one had been prevented from leaving.
As well as the nearly 680 000 refugees who have already left Ukraine for neighbouring states, an estimated one million have had fled their homes but are still inside the country.
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Source: AFP
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