No Kazakhstani nationals reported injured in Middle East crisis – MFA
Kazakhstan is preparing a plan to evacuate its nationals from Iran through neighboring countries, as the Kazakh Foreign Ministry and its foreign missions switched to an enhanced operation regime amid the escalating military-political situation in the Middle East, Qazinform News Agency reports via the Ministry.
Kazakhstan’s foreign missions in the countries of the region are continuously monitoring the situation, maintaining constant communication with local authorities and Kazakhstani citizens, and regularly visiting airports to ensure rapid response and immediate provision of consular and legal assistance.
Through round-the-clock communication via emergency hotlines and operational messaging group chats, diplomatic staff continue updating lists of Kazakhstani citizens staying in the region, including those in transit zones.
As of now, no reports have been received regarding any injured citizens of Kazakhstan, said the Ministry.
According to the latest data, the largest number of Kazakhstani citizens in the escalation zone are traditionally located in countries that are popular tourist destinations, pilgrimage sites, and major transit hubs. In particular, 3,500 citizens are in the UAE, approximately 3,000 in Saudi Arabia (KSA), and about 1,500 in Qatar. Regarding other countries in the region, diplomatic missions report the following figures: 82 citizens are staying in Iran, 168 in Bahrain, 134 each in Kuwait and Jordan, and around 100 in Israel.
Given that air carriers are forced to cancel flights due to airspace closures across the region, Kazakhstan’s foreign missions are working jointly with travel companies to arrange temporary stays for Kazakhstani citizens in hotels. It was noted that in the UAE, accommodation and meals have been provided for Kazakhstani citizens until the situation stabilizes.
As previously stated, measures and routes for the possible evacuation of Kazakhstani citizens from escalation zones are being developed. For security reasons, local authorities do not recommend independent travel. In the event of an evacuation flight, priority departure will be given to the most vulnerable categories of citizens, including the elderly, women, and children.
Earlier, 50 citizens of Kazakhstan were evacuated from Tehran, including representatives of the company Zarkukh, the Economic Cooperation Organization, and the diplomatic mission.
Following the work carried out, Kazakhstan’s foreign missions have reached agreements with the competent authorities of foreign states to assist in the evacuation of Kazakhstani citizens from Iran through neighboring countries. With the Armenian side, an agreement has been reached to allow unobstructed crossing of the Iranian-Armenian border by Kazakhstani citizens in case of evacuation through Armenia’s territory. Constant contact is maintained with the leadership of Armenia’s foreign ministry. Similar work has been conducted with the Azerbaijani side, which has expressed readiness to assist in evacuation matters. Given that the border crossing regime at land checkpoints is restricted, crossing requires special authorization.
In accordance with a request from two citizens, the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Azerbaijan promptly obtained permission for entry from Iran through the border at the Julfa checkpoint (Nakhchivan).
Turkmenistan has also confirmed its readiness to assist in ensuring border crossing for the evacuation of Kazakhstani citizens. Work in this direction continues uninterrupted, and additional clarifications will be published on the official resources of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Kazakhstan’s foreign missions.
To ensure prompt information dissemination, the Ministry has engaged modern digital tools, including the Kaspi infrastructure. In cooperation with the company, official information and clarifications are being delivered in a timely manner to citizens in the region via mobile devices.
Until the situation in the region is fully stabilized, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan calls on citizens to remain calm, comply with the requirements and recommendations of local authorities, avoid high-risk areas, and treat temporary restrictions with understanding.
Additional information will be provided as it becomes available. In this regard, Kazakhstani citizens were urged to closely follow official statements from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Kazakhstan’s foreign missions.
Earlier, Qazinform reported spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yerlan Zhetibayev, has issued a statement, expressing condolences to the people of Iran over the loss of lives of civilians and members of the senior leadership.
