Four skilled workers of Odisha return from strife-torn Yemen

KENDRAPARA (ODISHA): Stranded in war zones of Yemen for over several days, four skilled personnel from Odisha's Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara have made a safe return to their villages.

Far away from hostile environs of the civil-war-torn country, the workers recounted their ordeal and how they had a providential escape from death.

They expressed their gratitude to the Union government and Union Minister of State of External Affairs V K Singh for having come to the aid of stranded Indians when it mattered the most.

"Everything was done meticulously for our safe return. The bombings are still on in capital city Sanna and Aden, the port city. We have got a new lease of life. I spent many sleepless nights following deafening sound of bombardment", recounted Mohammad Iftekar Amir (32).

Amir was employed as a pharmacy manager in a private firm and was based in Yemen's capital city of Sanna.

A resident of Aul in Kendrapara district, Amir had migrated to Sanna on 2006 and was leading a contended life with Rs 60,000 a month monthly salary. But things went awry last month with Yemen was stuck in internecine civil war.

Things got worse towards the second week of March, he said.

"By then Yemen had turned into full-fledged conflict zone. I was staying in a posh locality of Sanna. Though the area was free from conflict, the cacophony of gun battles and bombardment reverberated the air after daybreak. To stay in Yemen was unsafe. A misguided missile could kill anybody at anytime", he recalled.

"The Indian government promptly intervened. On April 5, we, a group of 120 Indians were airlifted to Djibouti. A total number of 342 Indians were flown from Djibouti to Kochi by special flight. 250 returnees were from Kerala. From Kochi, we landed by air in Mumbai. I travelled back to Odisha by train", he said.