April 5, 2015
The U.S. government has been advised that U.S. citizens may be able to leave Yemen from either Aden or Mokha and cross into Djibouti by boat. The Djibouti Foreign Minister confirms that Djibouti stands ready to receive any nationality and all evacuees from Yemen into Djibouti. Anyone who wishes to leave should possess either a U.S. or Yemeni passport.
Currently, there is a French frigate just off the coast of Aden called the Acronit. It’s a smaller boat that can accommodate a few hundred people and its mission is to transport all people who have a passport and can get to the boat. The boat is not in the port, therefore people will have to find their own way to get out to it. The window of time for when the boat may leave is uncertain.
Additionally, busses are periodically leaving from Sanaa en route to Mokha from the Djiboutian Embassy, and are willing to transport U.S. citizens. The Embassy of Djibouti is located in the Diplomatic Area on Amman Street.
Any U.S. citizens who wish to evacuate to Djibouti should attempt to get a Djiboutian visa first. The best way to do so is as follows:
Those who are in Sana’a should go to the Djiboutian Embassy
Those who are outside Sana’a should contact Djiboutian Official Daoud Ali via email, and send him a list of the people who want to get visas. Mr. Ali may be reached at 967 735077 585; email: daoudali67@hotmail.com
It is advisable for any U.S. citizen who wishes to evacuate to Djibouti by boat from Mokha to try to get a visa first. It is possible that authorities in Mokha may not allow people into the city for boarding the boats if they do not have Djibouti visas.
As always, U.S. citizens should make their own determination as to whether conditions are safe enough for them to travel to either Sanaa, Mokha, or Aden. In many cases, it may be better to shelter in place.
