DFA starts evacuating Filipinos from Tripoli

April 19, 2019

The Department of Foreign Affairs ( DFA) on Thursday began evacuating Filipino workers from the Libyan capital of Tripoli after two weeks of armed hostilities.

In a statement, the DFA said seven Filipinos—three hospital workers and four students were evacuated to Tunisia where they will be repatriated to the Philippines.

"They were evacuated by the Philippine embassy this morning to Tunisia where they will be repatriated to the Philippines," the DFA said.

Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Elmer Cato said 13 more Filipinos who requested assistance in getting repatriated are expected to be brought to Tunisia in the next few days.

The DFA said it shouldered the cost of repatriating the four students from a Islamic school in Tripoli while the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) paid for the airfare of the three employees of the Ali Omar Ashkar Hospital.

On Tuesday, a Filipino was injured in a rocket attack in Tripoli. DMS