Yemen: Indian evacuees recount 'sleepless nights, incessant bombing'

Indian evacuees from Yemen recounted tales of horror during their stay in the war-torn country.

One of the evacuated nationals, Nickson, said he had sleepless nights due to the continuous bombing. "At night, they started (firing at) the targeted points of Saudi fighters. We could not sleep because of the noise and the building shaking. We were really scared," said Nickson.

Another evacuee, Marie, who is also a mother of two, spoke about her daily struggles in the country. "There is no water or electricity. The mountain near where I stay was being bombed. Our embassy helped us get out, but they took a long time in (evacuating) me and my two kids because of visa issues," she said.

One of the passengers who landed in Kochi thanked the government for providing transport and money for the passengers to reach home. 

Hundreds of Indian evacuees from strife-torn Yemen arrived in Mumbai and Kochi on Tuesday and recounted the horrific experiences they faced in the conflict zone.

India is trying to get around 4,000 nationals, more than half of them nurses, out of Yemen, where Shi'ite Houthi fighters have swept into the southern port city of Aden despite an air campaign led by Saudi Arabia to check their advance.

Evacuees arrived in Djibouti on Monday from where Indian Air Force plane brought them to Mumbai.

The government has launched a massive operation to pull out its citizens from the conflict zone. So far, 3000 people have been evacuated.

"The situation in Yemen, especially the southern part is becoming slightly worse. That is why we have more fighting in Aden. And that is why one of our ships could not dock at that time and we have to move people by smaller ports. As of now, we have taken approximately about 2,500 people and after today's movement, especially with the ship, I expect about 3000- plus people would have already reached home. Our aim is that all those who wish to leave should be able to leave," said Minister of State for External Affairs, VK Singh.

New Delhi has issued a series of warnings this year to Indian nationals to leave Yemen, the last of them shortly before Saudi Arabia launched air strikes against Iranian-allied Houthi militiamen.