SEAToday.com, Jakarta - The government has again evacuated Indonesian citizens (WNI) affected by the conflict in Syria. A total of 30 Indonesians arrived safely in the country on Sunday, December 15, 2024.

The return of these Indonesians is part of the second wave of evacuation that began on December 13, 2024.

“A total of 30 Indonesian citizens were evacuated from Syria and arrived safely in their homeland on December 15, 2024. This effort is the second wave of a series of evacuations of Indonesian citizens in Syria,” read a statement as quoted from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) website.

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

The Indonesian citizens come from various regions in Indonesia, namely Aceh, Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, West Nusa Tenggara, Central Sulawesi, and South Sulawesi. The Indonesian citizens consist of 25 women and 5 men.

Previously, the government had evacuated 35 Indonesian citizens in the first wave of evacuation on December 12, 2024. The total number of citizens successfully evacuated from Syria by the government is 65 Indonesians.

Currently, the 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 previous data collection, as many as 1,162 Indonesians are domiciled in Syria, 65 Indonesians have returned to their homeland and as many as 84 Indonesians have stated that they want to return to their homeland.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indonesian Embassy in Damascus continue to closely monitor the security situation in Syria. To date, the security situation is very dynamic, including Israel still continuing to launch attacks on Syria. Considering this, the status of Alert One throughout Syria that has been set since December 7, 2024 is still maintained to date.

The government has taken various steps to protect Indonesian citizens, such as intensive coordination between Ministries / Institutions, updating Contingency Plans 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, minimize unnecessary movements, and maintain close communication with the Indonesian Embassy in Damascus and among fellow Indonesian citizens.

For people who have families who are in Syria, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also urges them to contact the Hotline of the Directorate of Protection of Indonesian Citizens through contact numbers: +6281-290-070-027, and the Indonesian Embassy in Damascus Hotline through the contact number: +963 954 444 810.