Daijiworld Media Network - Bhatkal
Mubasshir Hallare

Bhatkal, Mar 30: Six persons including three children from two families of Bhatkal are among the 500-plus people from Karnataka stranded in strife-torn Yemen, where war is currently going on against the rebel Shia Houthi group.

This information was relayed over the phone by Mohammed Yunus Shabandri, who has been staying in Yemen's Aden with his family from several years.

Shabandri has urged the Karnakata chief minister to put pressure on the Indian government to ensure safety and security of all the Kannadigas stranded in Yemen.

Most of the 3,500 odd Indians in Yemen are in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, and about 500 in Aden. Shabandri said that while the Indian government has been rescuing its nationals in Sanaa, no measures have been taken to ensure security of Indians in Aden.

"We do not know when our houses would be bombed. We are witnessing horrible scenes right in front of our eyes. We are living under a shadow of fear. We are deafened by the sound of exploding bombs and we do not know if we will ever reunite with our families back home. Hence the government should immediately make arrangements to evacuate us from this place and take us back home," he urged.

Shabandri lives in Aden with his wife and three children. Shaique Raknuddin, who is also from Bhatkal, is also with him. They recently contacted their families in Bhatkal to say that they were safe. "But the situation is such that anything could happen any time, so we have to be rescued at the earliest," he said.

Kasargod: Jinto Joseph's family hopes for his safe return

Stephan Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network – Kasargod (EP)

Kasargod, Mar 30: Over 60 Keralites are stranded in war-hit Yemen, among whom is 34-year-old Jinto Joseph from Odayanchal here.

It is learnt that seven men including Jinto are staying in a room at Aden in Yemen without food and water for the last one week.

Jinto has been employed with a hotel in Aden for the last five years. He had visited his hometown two years ago. He is unable to come out of the room as the situation is highly volatile. They have been unable to get food and water.

Jinto has contacted his family over the phone and said that the hotel where he is employed is locked down and he is unable to leave the room.

Jinto is the son of Joseph and Traisyamma, residents of Kodoth in Kasargod. His wife Jincy and one-and-a-half-year-old daughter are here. His family has been praying for his safe return and has urged the government to take all possible measures to bring him back soon.