The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has held a joint meeting with officials from other concerned ministries to prepare a necessary action plan for the rescue of Nepali citizens in war-torn Israel and Iran. A Information Desk has also been established, through which more than 600 people have expressed their desire to return to Nepal so far. Only those who wish to be rescued can register their names at the information desk. Of the 600 individuals who have registered, all have requested government assistance to return to Nepal, although not everyone expects to be rescued immediately.

Foreign Minister Arzu Deuba Rana, Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security Sharad Singh Bhandari, as well as officials from the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, and the Ministry of Home Affairs, participated in the meeting.

The meeting focused on how to bring back those wishing to return to Nepal through rescue efforts. Foreign Minister Rana emphasized that the government must adopt all possible measures to ensure the safety and evacuation of Nepali citizens, and stressed the need for inter-ministerial cooperation. The condition of Nepalis in conflict zones was also discussed. Labor Minister Bhandari stated that he is personally in regular contact with Nepalis in Israel. Although various topics were discussed during the meeting, a concrete rescue action plan has yet to be finalized.

Some of the registered individuals have expressed the desire to return to Nepal as soon as possible. The Foreign Minister has already instructed the relevant embassies to explore options for evacuating them either by land or air routes.

Considering the situation that has emerged from the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, the Government of Nepal has formed a high-level mechanism to ensure the safety and potential evacuation of its citizens in the Middle East. A joint meeting of four ministries held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday decided to establish a special Rescue Unit that will operate 24/7. Following this decision, Nepalis began registering their names.

The meeting requested Nepali citizens who wish to return home to register their details on the online portal prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The rescue unit, which will be led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will also include officials from the Ministries of Home Affairs; Labor, Employment and Social Security; and Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. These officials will coordinate and formulate strategies for the rescue operation.

Officials at the Nepali Embassy in Israel and the Nepali Embassy in Qatar (which oversees Iran) have been instructed to stay in close contact with the Nepali community and provide ‘real-time reporting’. It is reported that there are between 5,000 to 7,000 Nepalis in Israel and 17 Nepalis in Iran.