More than 28,000 American citizens have returned safely to the US from the Middle East since late February, according to the State Department. Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson mentioned that the US government has been facilitating flights, ground transport, and emergency aid to assist Americans in leaving the region due to ongoing security issues. The evacuation efforts have included special charter flights organized by the US State Department to evacuate Americans from areas affected by instability.
The data provided by Johnson does not account for Americans who have traveled to other countries in the region or those still in transit back to the US. Despite improvements in commercial flight availability in the region, the State Department’s charter flight and ground transport operations are increasing as security conditions permit. The emergency task force at the State Department has been managing assistance requests from American citizens in various Middle Eastern countries, offering security guidance and travel aid to over 16,000 Americans abroad.
American citizens in Gulf countries and Israel who require assistance in leaving the region are advised to contact the State Department through its crisis system. The State Department emphasized its commitment to assisting American citizens in need of evacuation from the Middle East for as long as necessary. US officials have urged Americans in the Middle East seeking help to reach out to the department’s emergency hotline at +1-202-501-4444.
