DUSHANBE, March 31, 2015, Asia-Plus — China”s Defense Ministry said on Tuesday its warships had completed an evacuation of Chinese nationals from Yemen, with more than 570 people safely transported across the Red Sea to Djibouti to be flown home, China Daily reports.
The Chinese were reportedly evacuated in two batches, one from Aden and the other, much larger group from Hodeidah, the ministry said in a statement on its website.
Eight foreign nationals were evacuated with them, it added, without providing details.
“Military officers must be the guardians of the people”s security, and military ships must be like Noah”s Ark for our compatriots,” the ministry said.
With the mission now over, the Chinese ships will return to the Gulf of Aden to help in operations to fight Somali piracy, it added.
More than 500 Chinese evacuees from conflict-ridden Yemen have arrived at the Djibouti port as the situation continues to deteriorate in Yemen.
Chinese Navy ships, which had been carrying out escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters, were reportedly dispatched for the evacuation on Sunday.
The first group of 122 Chinese nationals were evacuated from the Yemeni city of Aden and arrived in Djibouti on Sunday night.
The remaining 449 Chinese nationals and six people of other nationalities left the Yemeni coastal city of Al-Hodayda on Monday and have arrived in Djibouti.
