Close to 3, 300 Ethiopians airlifted from Saudi Arabia this week
Authorities say close to 3,300 Ethiopian migrants including 60 minors have been flown home from Saudi Arabia this week.
Nine flights were carried out from the Gulf nation this week as the ongoing repatriation operation continues for four months.
These flights have brought a total of 3, 287 Ethiopian nationals, mostly male migrants, to their country, according to the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs.
Among the repatriates, the Ministry said 60 are children and minors, 146 are women.
The returnees are now receiving support including food and accommodation in shelter centers set up in the capital, officials said, ahead of a sending off to their respective localities.
Authorities have begun the repatriation push to return Ethiopians detained in Saudi Arabia on March 30, 2022, with a plan to bring back 102, 000 citizens in up to eleven months.
To date, 58,301 Ethiopians have been repatriated..
The operation involves receiving, rehabilitating, and sending returnees to their respective localities in dignity, officials said.
