The Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa has announced Zimbabwe’s evacuation of118 students from Ukraine to safer places following an ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Speaking during a post-Cabinet briefing yesterday, Minister Mutsvangwa said the government will provide the students with air tickets for their return home.
Zimbabwean embassies in Russia and Germany are facilitating the evacuation exercise in Ukraine after Russia invaded the country attacking the citizens.
“Cabinet would like to reassure the nation that the Government is taking all necessary steps to evacuate students and other nationals from Ukraine following the outbreak of war with Russia.
“The country’s missions to Moscow and Berlin are facilitating the evacuation mission. To date, a total of 118 students have relocated to the following safer places, Romania 28, Hungary 15,Slovakia 26 and Poland 49,” minister Mutsvangwa said.
“Government is in the process of buying tickets for the students to come back home.
“There is a Mission official who is currently based in Poland to assist those that need to be repatriated. You will continue to be updated on the situation of students in Ukraine,” she said.
Last Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade assured parents and stakeholders that the Government was in progress of evacuating its citizens from Ukraine.
All students in Ukraine were being urged to cross the border to neighbouring Poland where Government intervention was guaranteed there.
Meanwhile, there have been allegations of Africans being neglected by Ukrainians, restricting all Africans from fleeing Ukraine.
African Union (AU) Chairpersons condemned the racist behaviour encouraging the Ukrainian government to respect the international law of granting every person the freedom of crossing boarders seeking safety from war.
Furthermore, minister Mutsvangwa said Zimbabwe was expecting light rains in the next seven days.
“Cabinet wishes to advise the nation that the migration of the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone northwards into Zambia, and the tropical cyclones in the Mozambique Channel have contributed to the reduced rainfall activity over Zimbabwe.
“However, in the next seven days, the country is expected to receive mostly light rains with the exception of the extreme northern parts during the forecast period,” she said.
