1st LD Writethru: Chinese warship carrying 83 evacuees from Yemen arrives in Djibouti

A Chinese navy ship carrying 83 Chinese and Sri Lankan nationals evacuated from Yemen arrived Tuesday morning at the Port of Djibouti.

Aboard Linyi missile frigate were the last batch of Chinese nationals and staff members of the Chinese Embassy, plus 45 Sri Lankan citizens.

It is the fourth evacuation mission organized by the Chinese government since Saudi-led coalition forces launched airstrikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The vessel left Yemen's western port of al-Hodayda and arrived here after an almost 12-hour voyage.

The evacuated Chinese will travel on to China on a commercial flight later in the day.

"The security situation has worsened in Sanaa these days. There was almost constant bombing during daytime and explosions could also be heard at night ... But the moment I embarked on Linyi, my nerves were at ease. We are really grateful for what the government has done for us," an engineer from a Chinese construction company told Xinhua after getting off the ship.

Fathima Abdul Cader, a Sri Lankan woman, and her husband were also among the passengers. The 40-year-old said she had a very pleasant experience during the voyage.

"I feel so comfortable with what they have done in the ship. They provide us not only food and necessities but also entertainment. I didn't expect this. It is so nice to get to know Chinese people. Thank you, China," she said.

It is the first time that Linyi has picked up evacuees at the port of al-Hodayda, said Chinese military official Jiang Guoping. "The evacuation operation was a smooth one, thanks to thorough preparations by the Chinese Embassy in Yemen. We are pleased to see the evacuees arriving at the destination safely," he said.

The two previous evacuation missions undertaken by Linyi were both from the Port of Aden.

Another Chinese warship Weifang also participated in the evacuation efforts by the Chinese government.

China has evacuated 629 of its nationals and 279 foreign citizens from Yemen in four operations, all undertaken by vessels of the naval escort fleet patrolling the Gulf of Aden and waters around Somalia.

Given deteriorating security in Yemen, the Chinese Embassy in Yemen and the country's Consulate General Aden are closed temporarily. Endi