TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Embassy in Saudi Arabia estimates some 700 Indonesians, most of whom are migrant workers or TKI, are residing in Najran. The Saudi Arabian city is not a safe area to live in, as it is often a target for rockets and missiles launched from Yemen.
It is also one of the regions in Saudi that are in close proximity to the conflict area in Yemen.
Ambassador Agus Maftuh Abegebriel told Tempo that the embassy had offered the TKI to relocate, but to no avail. The TKI prefer to stay there because they need jobs.
"I offered them to evacuate, but most of them said 'we need to eat', ignoring the rockets that are erupting like fireworks. They feel safe; but we are scared for them," he said on Sunday, April 22.
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Agus said that the TKI in Najran are not victims of human trafficking.
On April 19, the Indonesian Ambassador and his entourage visited the city of Najran. To them, the workers said they are always on alert and prepared for all possibilities.
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"We are used to the sounds [of rockets and missiles], and we just think that they're firecrackers or fireworks," one of the Indonesian citizens who live in Najran said.
To date, 120 long-range missiles has been launched to Saudi Arabia. Following the increased frequency of missile strikes to Najran and the city of Jizan, the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh has established a Crisis Management Team (CMT) commanded by the Defense Attaché.
TEMPO