KRG repatriates another 223 stranded citizens from UAE, Sweden amid COVID-19 crisis

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – In a statement issued on Friday, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) 's Department of Foreign Relations (DFR) announced a new repatriation of citizens stranded in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Sweden, because of the halt in international flights, after countries began moving to stop the spread of the highly contagious new disease, COVID-19.

The latest mission to return residents of the Kurdistan Region follows the DFR's announcement on Thursday that it had brought back 142 students who had been left abroad, in Cyprus.

Read More: Kurdistan brings home 142 students stranded in Cyprus by coronavirus pandemic

"Under the directive of the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, Masrour Barzani, a number of Kurdish citizens stranded abroad due to the suspension of air traffic have safely returned home to the Kurdistan Region," Friday's DFR statement explained.

Friday's repatriation flights returned two groups of residents to the Kurdistan Region. One flight brought 139 stranded individuals back from Sweden, and the other flight evacuated 84 from the UAE, the statement read.

The statement added that the repatriation was carried out by the KRG's Department of Foreign Relations (DFR) in coordination with the Foreign Ministry of Iraq, KRG Representative in BaghdadIraqi Airways, and Swedish Foreign Ministry, as well as KRG and Iraqi Representatives in Sweden.

The head of the DFR, Safeen Dizayee, extended his appreciation to all those who played a role in the success of the repatriation and facilitated the return of the residents at a time when virtually all commercial flights have been halted.

In order to curb any transmission of the highly-contagious disease, the returnees "will follow health measures [and] undergo quarantine for 14 days," the DFR statement affirmed

Iraq's Civil Aviation Authority first decided to suspend all international passenger flights on March 17. Originally, the suspension was planned to last for a week, as the government began to take preventive measures against the spread of the highly contagious virus. However, the suspension was repeated subsequently. The latest suspension is expected to end on May 22, although it, too, may be continued.

According to the latest figures from the KRG's health ministry, there have been 397 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the Kurdistan Region, including 379 recoveries and five fatalities.

COVID-19 has infected over 4.5 million people worldwide and killed more than 305,000, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The actual figures could be dramatically higher due to insufficient testing capabilities or underreporting.

Editing by Laurie Mylroie