The Government of Uganda has initiated a coordinated emergency evacuation of Ugandan nationals stranded in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the State of Israel following the outbreak of armed conflict between the two countries on June 13.
In a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Uganda government revealed that it is working closely with diplomatic missions and government agencies in both conflict zones to ensure the safety and secure evacuation of its citizens.
According to the Permanent Secretary, Bagiire Vincent Waiswa, the Ministry has so far registered Ugandan students in Iran and gathered information on nationals in Israel through reports from relatives and concerned parties. The statement confirms that 48 Ugandan students are currently being evacuated from Tehran, Iran’s capital.
To facilitate smooth evacuation, Uganda has reached out to countries bordering Iran and Israel — including Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Jordan — requesting them to provide gratis (free) visas upon arrival for Ugandans being evacuated.
Further, Uganda has informed its embassies in Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar to prepare to offer consular support to any evacuees who may find themselves in those countries. These missions will also deploy officers to receive the evacuees and arrange for their safe return to Uganda.
However, the Ministry noted that the evacuation efforts face serious logistical challenges as both Iran and Israel have closed their airspace, and the volatile security situation is delaying the arrangement of reliable transport for stranded Ugandans. “The Ministry is doing everything within its means to ensure that all the stranded Ugandan nationals are accorded safe and secure transportation out of the affected areas,” read part of the statement.
The Ministry has urged the public to direct inquiries and information about stranded Ugandans to its consular services via email at consular@mofa.go.ug.
