India evacuated 19 Indian seafarers stranded in Hodeidah and Sana'a for nearly two weeks, with the Embassy confirming that all were safe and in good health.
The operation follows a separate October 23 incident involving 14 Indian nationals aboard a yacht near Yemen's coast, although it remains unclear whether the two groups overlap.
The evacuation highlights continuing maritime security concerns in the Red Sea and the risks faced by Indian nationals working in conflict-affected areas.
India Evacuates 19 Seafarers Stranded In Yemen For Two Weeks, All Safe And Returning Home
India has evacuated 19 Indian seafarers stranded in Yemen's Hodeidah and Sana'a for nearly two weeks, with all reported safe and on their way back home amid continuing security concerns in the Red Sea region
Summary
India has safely evacuated 19 Indian seafarers who had been stranded in Yemen's Hodeidah and Sana'a for nearly two weeks, the Indian Embassy in Yemen announced on Sunday, November 8. The embassy said all the seafarers were in good health and had begun their journey back to India. The evacuation comes amid renewed fighting between Yemen's Houthi movement and Saudi Arabia, raising concerns over the safety of shipping and foreign nationals in the region.
In a post on X, the Embassy of India to Yemen said it had successfully facilitated the evacuation of the 19 nationals and thanked those who had assisted in the operation. It did not disclose the identities of the seafarers, the vessels they had been working on, the circumstances that left them stranded or the route used to evacuate them.
The mission said the group had been stranded in Hodeidah, a port city on Yemen's Red Sea coast, and Sana'a, the country's capital, for the past two weeks. Their arrival in India had not been confirmed in the embassy's announcement.
Evacuation Follows Separate Incident Involving 14 Indians Aboard Yacht
The evacuation comes weeks after the Indian Embassy reported that 14 Indian nationals aboard a yacht involved in an incident off Yemen's coast were safe. On October 23, the mission said it was in contact with the relevant authorities and parties to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident near Hodeidah.
Yemen's Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree had claimed that the yacht was attacked near Jabal Zuqar island in the Red Sea and that Houthi forces were involved in rescuing the Indians. The Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia for the incident, although the allegation was not independently established. It remains unclear whether the 14 nationals involved in the yacht incident are among the 19 seafarers evacuated in the latest operation.
The Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, are important international shipping routes. The region has faced repeated security threats amid the wider conflict in West Asia, affecting commercial vessels and maritime workers.
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Renewed Yemen Conflict Raises Concerns Over Maritime Safety
The evacuation comes amid an escalation in fighting between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement. Saudi-led coalition forces have carried out airstrikes in Yemen, while the Houthis have claimed missile and drone attacks against Saudi targets. The renewed hostilities have undermined the United Nations-brokered truce reached in 2022.
The humanitarian and security consequences of the renewed conflict have also intensified. The International Organization for Migration said in October that more than 200,000 people had been displaced since the latest round of fighting began. The latest evacuation highlights the risks faced by Indian nationals working in and around conflict-affected maritime corridors.
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