Sri Lanka Assesses Flight Options for Possible Middle East Evacuations

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has prepared a special mechanism to bring back Sri Lankans residing in the Middle East if the situation in the region becomes increasingly dangerous and if citizens request evacuation.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Tushara Rodrigo, who also serves as the Director General of the Public Diplomacy Division, said the ministry has already begun assessing requirements and gathering necessary data to execute an evacuation if needed.

Rodrigo explained that Sri Lankans seeking to return in an emergency should notify the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through Sri Lanka’s diplomatic missions.

'If someone needs to come back to Sri Lanka, they should inform our embassies, and then our ministry will review the requests and make decisions accordingly,' he said.

He noted that the ministry is currently evaluating the number of people who may need assistance, the feasibility of evacuations, and the countries from which flights could be arranged.

'We are assessing whether evacuation is possible depending on the numbers. Often, if flights are available, we can operate from countries such as Egypt or Turkey. We are already conducting these assessments,' he added.

The Foreign Ministry is also coordinating with all Sri Lankan embassies in the Middle East to identify individuals who may require evacuation.

'As part of our contingency plan, if there are Sri Lankans who need assistance, we will arrange for them to fly home through airports that are currently operational,' Rodrigo said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it has established a unified operational mechanism in collaboration with all Sri Lankan embassies in the Middle East and Gulf region.

It added that every embassy, together with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, is prepared to respond swiftly during any emergency and to ensure the safety of Sri Lankan migrant workers.