The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would like to express its sincere thanks to all the State Services of the relevant Ministries that have cooperated harmoniously throughout these days for the successful completion of the Special National Plan "ESTIA", which was activated on 25 April 2023 to assist the evacuation of civilians from the war zone of Sudan.
In particular, the continuous engagement of the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff of the National Guard, under whose supervision the "ZION" Coordination Centre in Larnaca operates, as well as their contribution to the hosting of hundreds of civilians in the facilities of the Larnaca Coordination Centre, until their departure from Cyprus, was decisive in the smooth conduct of the whole operation. In the field of hospitality, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would like to thank the relevant services of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism for their contribution.
The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works, which supports the Centre through its budget, contributed to the smooth management of the arrival and departure of the citizens, with the parallel assistance of the Civil Aviation Service, the Customs Department (Ministry of Finance), the Asylum Service, the Aliens and Immigration Service and the Population and Immigration Registry Department (Ministry of Interior). The Cyprus Police and the Fire Service of the Ministry of Justice and Public Order were continuously activated, ensuring the safe and smooth flow of the whole process, in cooperation with the managing company Hermes of Larnaca Airport.
The presence of staff from the Social Welfare Services of the Ministry of Social Welfare, as well as the Health Services and the Ambulance Service of the Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the OCYPY, was also constant. The staff of the Cyprus Civil Defence General Command coordinated, together with its volunteers and the volunteers of the Cyprus Red Cross, all the humanitarian assistance required to accommodate the civilians during their stay in Cyprus.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanks all the staff and volunteers of the Ministries, Services and Organisations who worked tirelessly and selflessly for eleven days, day and night, so that the evacuation operations could be carried out on time and in the best possible way.
(MF/MB)
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