Yemen rescue missions boost India-Pakistan ties

Evacuation of 11 Indian nationals by Pakistani navy follows rescue of three Pakistanis by India from war-torn country.

Eleven Indian nationals have returned to New Delhi from Yemen after being evacuated by the Pakistani navy.

The evacuees on Wednesday thanked the government of Pakistan for its assistance and joined at least 4,000 other Indians evacuated from Yemen by India over the past week.

Three Pakistani nationals were earlier transferred from Al-Hodeidah to Djibouti by the Indian navy as part of its evacuation operations.

The two countries’ humanitarian moves come on the sidelines of an escalating conflict in Yemen.

Abdul Basit, Pakistan’s ambassador to India, said the cooperation will play a significant role in normalising relations between the two countries.

For his part, VK Singh, India’s junior foreign affairs minister, says the situation in Yemen, especially the southern part, which is the last major foothold of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, is becoming worse.

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“We have more fighting in Aden. And that is why one of our ships could not dock at that time and we had to move people by smaller ports,” he said.

Fighting has increased in Aden between the Houthi fighters and their allies and local groups loyal to Hadi, while a Saudi-led coalition has intensified air strikes and bombardment of the southern coastal city.

Many of the Indian evacuees are from the southern state of Kerala, where they continue to experience the indirect effects of the Yemen conflict.

Evacuees in Kochi, speaking to Al Jazeera, said they depend on the income they receive in Yemen. They would like to return to Yemen and expressed hopes about a speedy end to the conflict.

Asok Kumar, one evacuee, told Al Jazeera the Houthis had not caused any problems for them.

“They are very good to us. Houthis are not any problems for Indians. They are very good [towards] Indians. But we afraid there will be no government tomorrow – after the war. There is nothing. You cannot go and complain about anything when they engage in looting.”

However, analysts say that they conflict is not likely to end soon.

 
 

 

 

Source: Al Jazeera, News Agencies