China helps Singaporean family evacuate from Yemen

A Singaporean woman and her four children who were stranded in Yemen are on their way home with the assistance of China, said Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Friday.

MFA thanked the Chinese government for its "positive and speedy response" in facilitating the departure of Sherin Fathima Syed Abdul Ravoof and her children in a statement.

MFA had approached several countries to help Sherin and her children leave Yemen since the woman contacted MFA on Tuesday before China agreed to allow them to leave on one of the vessels.

Sherin, 37, and her children, aged between four and 13 years old, moved to Yemen six months ago to live with her Yemeni husband. Her businessman husband, who had traveled to Saudi Arabia on a pilgrimage, has been unable to return to Yemen since the unrest worsened.

Apart from Singapore, China also helped nine other countries evacuate more than 200 of their citizens from conflict-ridden Yemen. All of the 225 nationals arrived in Djibouti onboard a Chinese frigate on Thursday.

It is the first time that a Chinese military vessel has joined in the evacuation of foreign nationals as part of its international humanitarian aid. Endi