Efforts made to safely evacuate Vietnamese citizens from Ukraine’s Mariupol city

The Vietnamese Embassy in Russia is urgently promoting the evacuation of Vietnamese citizens from the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, after receiving information that some are stranded here.

Group of Vietnamese citizens who travelled from Donetsk, Ukraine to Russia (File photo: VNA)

According to Nguyen Thi Thu Hong, currently living in Mariupol, there are 24 Vietnamese households in the city. On March 15, some families left the city by themselves. At present, several families are still in the city and facing many difficulties due to the severe weather.

Immediately after receiving the above information, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its State Committee on Overseas Vietnamese Affairs directed the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia to find ways to support people in need.

The embassy has also contacted the Foreign Ministry, Defence Ministry and authorities of Russia for help to ensure the safe evacuation of Vietnamese citizens in Mariupol.

Vu Son Viet, First Secretary of the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia, said that the Russian side confirmed that it will send buses to pick up evacuees at the headquarters of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the city of Mariupol at 25 Primorsky Bulvar.

The embassy has sent a notice to Vietnamese people to urgently prepare and be ready to gather at this address to wait for the buses when there is a notice from the Russian side.

However, Viet also warned of the interruption of the evacuation as the situation is still complicated.

In the immediate future, the embassy has sent the location where Vietnamese families are temporarily staying in Mariupol city to the Russian Ministry of Defence so that it can provide humanitarian support and necessities for them.

When full information is available, the embassy will send staff to pick up the citizens on the other side of the border - Rostov province of Russia. People are advised to contact the embassy at 79629703333, 79165385999 when in need.