The Foreign Office confirmed on Thursday that approximately 150 Pakistani nationals were stranded in Goma, located in the conflict-torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), after a sharp escalation in regional hostilities. To date, 75 citizens have been safely evacuated through diplomatic efforts led by Pakistani authorities.
Through the intervention of Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Rwanda, Ambassador Naeemullah Khan, Rwandan authorities granted permission for the evacuation of affected citizens into Rwanda.
Humanitarian situation in DRC’s Goma ‘extremely worrying’: UN
“So far around 75 Pakistanis have moved to Rwanda,” the statement added.
“The Pakistan High Commission, Kigali, has arranged accommodation and food for the affected Pakistanis.”
The statement added that any affected Pakistani, if requiring assistance, may contact the High Commission at: Mr. Pervez Bhatti, Head of Chancery: WhatsApp +92 333 5328517.
It said that the High Commission is actively identifying and assisting other Pakistanis in distress, particularly in border areas like Bukavu.
Officials confirmed that more citizens are expected to cross into Rwanda in the coming days, with staff maintaining direct contact to ensure safe passage, according to the statement.
The UN on Tuesday said the humanitarian situation in the besieged DR Congo city of Goma was “extremely worrying” amid mass displacement, food shortages, looted aid, overflowing hospitals and widespread sexual violence.
Aid agencies warned that attacks on water and electricity infrastructure could fuel deadly infectious diseases like cholera, adding that fighting around a local laboratory could allow pathogens like Ebola to escape and spread.
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