MINISTER of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Stanley Kakubo has assured the nation that 114 Zambians leaving Ukraine will be flown into the country by Friday this week.
And the Minister has disclosed that out of 141 Zambians, 27 have opted to remain in Ukraine having integrated in that country’s society over a number of years.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday when he gave a ministerial statement, Mr Kakubo said currently government has evacuated safely out of Ukraine 80 Zambians who are accommodated in a conducive facility in Warsaw where they have been provided with food, and other necessities.
“Our students were being facilitated mainly out of lviv, where a bus organised by the Zambian government would take them to the polish border at Hrebenne. all our nationals have been facilitated through the border formalities before being taken to join their colleagues in Warsaw, Poland,”he said.
Mr Kakubo said a few students have also self-evacuated through other countries including Hungary and Romania.
“Our staff have safely guided one student from Hungary to Poland while the other has communicated that he is safe and is joining a relative who lives in Hungary.
there are 5 of our nationals who opted not to register for evacuation and have found their way into Romania,” Mr Kakubo said.
He explained that Zambians yet to be evacuated, are one who is in lviv, and has been guided to board a train directly to Warsaw while three are in Kharkiv.
Mr Kakubo said arrangements remain in place to facilitate their evacuation.
He said 14 nationals are in transit from different parts of Ukraine towards the border and efforts are ongoing to facilitate their evacuation.
“We have, madame speaker, 14 of our students that are in the city of Sumy, located on the western side of Ukraine, very close to the Russian border. unfortunately, they have been unable to leave the city because throughout this period, Sumy has been one of the most risky areas security wise, with extremely restricted movements in the area,” he said
The Minister said government continues to engage the government of the Russian Federation, to request their assistance to facilitate the safe passage of Zambians through Russia.
He adds that the Zambian staff in Moscow have ascertained that all the 14 students are well and are being provided with the enough food and water.
He further said the situation in Ukraine has been difficult and complex and throughout the exercise.
“We have been faced with various challenges including the following: our nationals, opting not to use government organised transport, and as such having to be dropped off 20 kilometers from the border, there are multiple security checkpoints that all people fleeing Ukraine have to get through be fore reaching the border,” he said.
He has assured the country that government will continue to work tirelessly, to ensure that Zambians are evacuated and brought safely back home.
(Mwebantu)