The 5th evacuation flight from the Middle East, chartered and fully funded by the European Commission landed yesterday in Bucharest, Romania. The flight enabled the safe repatriation of 134 European citizens, following a request from the Romanian authorities.
Departing from Oman, the flight transported 96 Romanian nationals and 38 citizens from other European countries, who had been stranded in the United Arab Emirates. The EU also covered up to 75% of road transport costs that passengers incurred to reach Oman.
Since the beginning of the escalation in the region in late February, the EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre has supported near 90 flights, bringing over 11,000 European citizens back to Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, France, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Sweden.
Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, said:
‘When crisis strikes, Europe protects its people. The war in the Middle East shows again that when crises stretch national capacities, Europe steps in. We have now helped repatriate more than 11,000 Europeans. And we will keep working until everyone who needs help gets it.’
Background
Any country in Europe and beyond can request emergency assistance by activating the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
The EU remains engaged in repatriation efforts to bring European citizens back to safety, as flights under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism continue at a rapid pace.
