Saudi Embassy in Tokyo assists citizens affected by disaster
March 15, 2011
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Khalid bin Saud bin Khalid said Monday that, following the earthquake that struck the coast of Japan on Friday, the Saudi Embassy in Tokyo has been working around the clock to assist Saudi citizens affected by the disaster. Two operations centers – one center at the Saudi Chancellery in Japan and the other at the Foreign Ministry’s headquarters in Riyadh – have been organized to coordinate efforts. According to Prince Khalid, two assembly points, in Tokyo and Osaka, have been established for Saudi citizens, who have been provided with accommodations and subsistence requirements.Despite the closure of roads and train stations and the difficulty of flying to quake-affected areas threatened by radiation, the Saudi Chancellery has successfully evacuated five students and their families from these regions to Tokyo by helicopter. Later, five more Saudi students, along with six other Arabs from Oman, Qatar, Syria and Libya, were also evacuated. The Foreign Ministry has also begun to facilitate the travel of Saudi citizens back home through the provision of airline tickets.
