Saudi Arabia, as a close ally of Indonesia, steps forward to provide assistance to Indonesians fleeing Sudan.
“We are providing aid and facility for the Indonesian evacuees once they arrive in Jeddah,” Saudi Arabian ambassador to Indonesia Faisal Abdullah H Amodi said.
Faisal noted that Saudi Arabia has provided assistance in granting visas, temporary accommodation, and other basic necessities until evacuees back to Indonesia.
Faisal added that Saudi Arabia has helped Indonesia to evacuate 560 Indonesians to date. The country also provides evacuation facilities to 67 countries with the Royal Saudi Naval Forces in charge of carrying out the evacuation operation.
“This is the largest evacuation process by sea that we have seen so far. It is indeed the first time we witnessed such a large-scale evacuation by sea routes,” Faisal said.
The Indonesian government data shows there are 937 Indonesian people living in Sudan and according to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, about 897 Indonesians have fled the capital Khartoum after two rounds of evacuation.
Demonstrates the close ties
The evacuation of Indonesian nationals from Sudan demonstrates the robust ties that Saudi Arabia and Indonesia share.
Since violent clashes in Sudan’s Darfur region in December 2020, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has issued a statement announcing the assistance they would provide to Indonesian people affected by the conflict.
The statement noted that the Saudi government “will work to ensure their safety and security, and to provide all necessary assistance to facilitate their return to Indonesia.”
The Indonesian government expressed its gratitude to Saudi Arabia for its assistance in evacuating its citizens from Sudan.
“I would like to thank the Saudi Arabian government who had facilitated the sea transport from Port Sudan to Jeddah. We will help Indonesian evacuees return to Indonesia in rounds soon,” Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said.
When Indonesian refugees arrived in Jeddah, the Saudi Arabian government also provided accommodation for the Indonesian evacuees in a hotel in Jeddah while they awaited their return to Indonesia. The Saudi authorities made sure that the evacuees had access to food, medical care, and other necessities during their stay.
Thanks to the Saudi government for its “quick and concrete” response to the crisis and the cooperation between the two countries was a testament to the strength of their bilateral relations.
