Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) shared via press release that, to date, over 1,800 Taiwanese have been evacuated from the Middle East amid regional tensions. He thanked the frontline staff of Taiwan’s overseas missions for their dedication and cooperation during this time to ensure all remaining citizens are safely relocated. 

Although Taiwan has limited manpower in the region, the minister noted that staff at all offices have been proactive and diligent in their efforts, cooperating closely to assist Taiwanese in the area. Many have coordinated efforts to move citizens between countries where evacuations may be safer, such as from Dubai to Oman or Bahrain to Dubai. In a notable example, Lin shared that staff from Taiwan's Saudi office personally travelled to Qatar, despite dangerous circumstances, to assist stranded Taiwanese citizens in leaving the country safely.

Lin encouraged all staff to closely monitor regional developments and guard their own safety and well-being. 

So far, the Foreign Ministry reports that 1,838 Taiwanese have been safely returned to Taiwan, with 50 citizens remaining in need of evacuation assistance. The ministry assures that it will maintain close contact and provide all necessary assistance to those in need, and again urges citizens to avoid or evacuate the region.

For any Taiwanese who cannot avoid travel or transit through the Middle East, the Foreign Ministry has created a “travel/transit care card for the Middle East,” and reminds citizens to register their trip via the Consular Affairs Bureau website before departure.  The registration process logs personal emergency contact information for Taiwanese missions abroad to provide timely assistance to those in the region if necessary.