The Indonesian Embassy In Beirut And Tehran Are On Standby, The Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Asks Indonesian Citizens To Follow The Direction Of The Contingency To Delay Travel

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs appealed to Indonesian citizens (WNI) in the Middle East region to follow the direction of contingency plans to postpone travel to a number of countries, as the situation in the region heats up.

Not yet after the Israeli conflict with Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip that broke out on October 7 last year, the situation in the region is getting hotter as it escalates the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon which has increased in the last two weeks.

The Director of Protection for Indonesian Citizens at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Judha Nugraha, explained that currently all Indonesian representatives in the area have coordinated and a contingency plan has been determined.

"According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' SOP, there is a contingency and coordination plan for all representatives in the region," Judha said in a press statement in Jakarta, Friday, October 4.

Judha further explained that the Indonesian Embassy in Amman in Jordan is currently setting Alert 1 status for the Palestinian and Israeli territories. Where there are 4 Indonesian citizens in Gaza (relawan), as well as 231 Indonesian citizens in Israel who are interns.

The Indonesian Embassy in Beirut in Lebannon sets Alert 1 for the entire region, where there are 116 Indonesian citizens in the country.

In Iran, the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran has set Alert 2 for around 391 Indonesian citizens in the country, the majority of students in Qom.

Meanwhile, in Syria, the Indonesian Embassy in Damascus sets Alert III, with Alert 1 set in four areas, namely Al Hasakeh, Ar Raqqah, Deir ez-Zur and Idlib.

"In total there are 1,201 Indonesian citizens in that country, but none are in four areas with Alert 1 status," explained Judha.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also monitors Indonesian citizens in Yemen through the Indonesian Embassy in Muscat, where many Indonesian citizens are located in the Hadramarut area which is not controlled by the Houthis, which are involved in tensions in the region.

On this occasion, Judha also conveyed a number of appeals. Starting from increasing vigilance, avoiding vulnerable locations, and contacting representatives of the Republic of Indonesia and reporting themselves.

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also appealed to Indonesian citizens to follow the direction of contingency plans, including evacuations, and to anticipate flight disruptions.

In addition, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also appealed to postpone travel to Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Palestine and Israel.